


College and Boys and Beer... Oh My!

by DeathsLastPrayer



Series: College, Careers, and Kids... Time Flies! [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Explicit Sex, Jean x Eren main pair, M/M, Multi, My rendition of humor, The Threesomes are minor so don't worry!!!! Most are implied!, Threesomes, Turned out to be an honest to goodness love story in the end lol!, WIP, borderline porno, bunch of couples too, love story in there somewhere
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-12
Updated: 2015-07-01
Packaged: 2018-03-11 23:06:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 57,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3336152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeathsLastPrayer/pseuds/DeathsLastPrayer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The story where Jean and Eren have a crazy and chaotic emotional connection. You know… the one where they go to college and hate that they love each other and pretend that they don't but they're so wrapped up in it all that it's ridiculous and wonderful and so very them…? Or the one where Jean and Eren have a lot of sex and don't remember the bit about feelings and whatnot until the end. </p><p>Yeah, that one. </p><p>Consider it porn with quite a bit of plot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day X: Frisbees, Food, and Fondling

**Author's Note:**

> So... For the record, Standford and some Uni's like it have weird quarter schedule systems instead of semesters. I don't like the whole quarters thing so I'm going with semesters for this story and it's an academic year that starts after Memorial day and ends in May with a winter break that goes from early December to late January... yeah. Just a heads up!
> 
> Also, this is kind of my guilty pleasure story and it gets kind of raunchy. Like, really, really, explicit at some points so... consider that a warning I guess. If it's too... hmm... "bleh" please let me know because I do like to keep people as much in character as possible even with regard to the out of character setting and plot.

It all starts on the beach.

With Eren laughing while Armin is sitting between his thighs attempting to read a book that Eren keeps snatching for and Mikasa is smiling softly beside them as she reads her own book and bathes in the sun, head propped on Armin’s lap.

It starts with a Frisbee thrown in their direction. 

They don’t notice until a guy (Jean as they all come to find out) is trotting backwards to catch it but falls over Mikasa’s outstretched legs. He swears and mutters under his breath and fumbles and gets sand everywhere (ruins their towel).

Eren glares when the guy stands up and says nothing more than a muttered “fuck, that hurts” as he dusts himself off. He’s handsome –piercings (entire left ear, a gage in the right lobe, right brow, snake bites, and, if there were more, Eren couldn’t see), tattoos (full sleeves and his back is covered, which is impressive), blond hair with a brown undercut, and a pair of startling honey-brown eyes that Eren would have appreciated if he weren’t so pissed. It doesn’t help that he has a nice body on top of it all but Eren’s too keyed up to give any fucks.

It doesn’t begin with the typical hello.

Instead, the guy snags his Frisbee, smiles a bit before offering a brief, “My bad”, which only serves to further ignite the blood in Eren’s veins. 

It can’t be helped that Eren winds up standing, face pulling into a scowl. “You owe her an apology.” His tone is venomous and Armin can tell immediately that nothing good is bound to happen.

Pause and rewind.

It actually starts thirty minutes earlier when Marco points out Eren and Mikasa at the concession stand. 

Marco knows Jean and knows that the guy has been in a funk because their last summer as brats is set to end in less than a week and then it’s on to college (Jean is going to Stanford and Marco is on his way to Berkley). Jean is bummed about being separated from his best friend, which he complains about because he’s like that but he’s happy for the both of them –or rather, as happy as the pragmatic, sarcastic, and pessimistic Jean can be. 

It really kicks off two hours beforehand when Marco suggests going to the beach in Malibu one last time with Connie and Sasha and maybe some surfing and flirting with beach bodies. Getting their minds off of a new start and focusing on the present while they still can is the goal. 

Jean agrees because he’s always swayed by the potentials of hooking up and losing himself in another person as opposed to his own thoughts. When it comes to people (and despite the fact that Jean is arrogant and opinionated and a pessimist through and through), Jean is a magnet. He attracts all sorts and Marco likes to think it’s his appearance because that personality takes some getting used to.

Ah, but it starts with the concession stand for all of them.

From Marco spotting those crazy gorgeous turquoise-blue eyes (Eren is a head turner, Marco has to admit even if he isn’t into guys and all “free love” like Jean). Mikasa is spotted next because –her breast. _Those_ things in _that_ bikini… She’s as much of a bombshell as the guy beside her. Marco thought the two were a couple until Eren slaps Mikasa’s back and rustles her hair and Marco just knows that they’re either siblings or really close friends (it turns out to be the latter but that knowledge comes later).

It gets really interesting when Marco points out the two because either of them is Jeans type and Jean could really use an end of the summer pick me up.

Jean lights up when he sees the girl (Mikasa) but then, for the briefest of moments, his gaze gets trapped in aquamarine depths and he _wants_. Wants like nothing he’s ever experienced before. Like, his body physically fucking aches and is compelled to yearn for that guy. Jean knows right then and there that he _needs_ to talk to him –say something, anything. 

It starts with Connie and Sasha suggesting the “Frisbee Play” and Jean thinking it’s a dumb idea but fuck it –it’s their last hurrah.

It ends with an argument.

With Jean saying, “I said ‘My bad’!” 

And Eren biting out, “That’s not a fucking apology.”

Which is when semantics get tangled up in there somewhere and Mikasa holds Eren back because he has a quick temper but not quite as quick as her own when it concerns him or Armin. And then Marco runs over and is apologizing on Jean’s behalf because his idiot friend is stubborn (and arrogant to a fault). Armin apologizes on Eren’s behalf too because he just wants to get back to reading and relaxing. But Connie and Sasha salvage things when they suggest BBQ and food and friendship and weed, which would bring about friendship.

All is good after that.

Thus, it really ends during the twilight when they’re sitting beside a BBQ pit half baked and exchanging introductions and greetings. 

Sasha asks if Armin and Eren and Mikasa are a new-age threesome because they’re all wrapped up in each other like they fuck regularly and they’re all surprised when the three laugh and reject the idea. They’re just close friends who are inseparable –more like siblings who are super close and can’t be without the other. They admit to having sex but it doesn’t mean what people think it means because they’re not in love, they simply love each other. Would die for each other in a heartbeat because they’ve been through shit and understand one another without the need for even words. 

Connie calls them incestuous but they don’t much care.

Marco asks if they can date –just to be sure- and he’s surprised that they can and they do and they are dating other people. And when they date other people, the others don’t interfere. A respect thing.

Jean decides that he digs it –what they have sounds like “free love” to him. So yeah, that’s only more of a reason why he really digs Eren. Even though their first meeting wound up awful, Eren is all cheek and tongue and wit and fire and Jean has a thing for playing with fire. Loves the burn as much as the warmth.

It ends with Eren being high and sitting by the fire while Mikasa and Armin follow Sasha to the ice cream truck.

Jean sits beside him and they find out a lot about each other. Like, they’ll both be going to Stanford for engineering. They both have a thing for music –but Jean is an elitist and Eren wholeheartedly believes that a true music lover can find all genres pleasant or respect some of the artist in each category because not everyone is a hack. They’re both ridiculously smart and know as many useless things as useful. (Eren knows how many bottle caps it takes to circle the earth once and Jean knows the capitals of European and African countries but neither of them know why they know shit like that nor where they got the info from.)

Eren gets his apology and offers one of his own. 

They slip into an easy conversation that’s like a rollercoaster ride for Jean. There are the high points when they’re both really caught up on a topic and into it and the low points when they’re arguing but equally as charged. It’s all thrilling –exhilarating. Something like getting a tattoo and being high or drunk or both at the same time and then floating. Floating is definitely in there somewhere. 

It really ends with a newfound friendship.

With Eren and Jean talking until five in the morning. With Marco, Connie, and Sasha, leaving between 2 and 3 AM. Armin and Mikasa kiss and hug Eren respectively around the same time when Jean offers to take Eren home –wherever home is. And Eren doesn’t mind. 

Fast-forward. 

It stops half an hour later.

Jean’s parked in front of Eren’s garage with Eren in his lap and his seat leaned back as their lips keep chasing after each other. But when they connect, there’s this spark that makes his nerves singe and neurons fire. It makes his toes curl and the hairs at the back of his neck stand on end. And he can’t get enough of Eren’s mouth –his taste, his scent, the little sounds he makes as he rocks his hips and suckles on the ring at the left corner of Jean’s bottom lip.

Eren’s sensual smile and husky voice set him off like nothing else and Jean _wants_. 

Eren wants, too.

Wants Jean to not disappear any time soon because he digs him. Digs the cold ball of Jean’s tongue ring clicking against his teeth. Digs those honey-brown eyes and that consuming stare. Digs his style. Digs his beautiful mind because he can keep up like Armin and Mikasa. Eren really digs Jean’s mouth and his hands –those incredibly strong hands that grip at his hips and help him rock just so. Eren’s really into their rutting.

It stops at the orgasm.

The moment Jean’s cock is pressed to Eren’s all slick while he grips them in one hand and they're moving spastically (the truck is rocking and they might’ve honked the horn a few times but who really gives a fuck). Eren comes first with a mewl that he buries in Jean’s throat before biting down and marking that white flesh just because he can. Jean follows three point eight minutes later, which he figures bodes well for him in the future if the two of them make it a long-term thing.

So Jean dares to ask, because he has to know more than anything else, “Can I see you again?”

When Eren laughs, he assumes the worst, but then- “Yeah. I think you’re kind of alright, for an asshole, and you’ll need a friend at Stanford.”

It starts with being friends.

With the exchanging of numbers and sloppy kisses and Jean wondering what kind of friends Eren makes because, apparently, they all get to have sex. He doesn’t say that though. He just accepts it for what it is. 

When Eren finally climbs out of the car, it’s 7 AM and he can’t help but to steal one last kiss and one last bite before he tells Jean to call him. And Eren sits in his kitchen for a long while after that, mind racing and wild and wide awoke because he can never sleep after orgasm. He thinks about Armin and Mikasa and waking them up for an early breakfast so he can tell them about Jean.

Jean sits in his truck on his own driveway for half an hour mentally recapping the day but always returning to those gem-like green-blue eyes. He thinks about college and about Marco who kept telling him that it won’t be _loathsome_ and –for the first time- Jean believes him.

It all starts that first week before college life begins and no one has any regret.

* * *

**TBC…**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first Shingeki no Kyojin fanfic but I've always been a big fan of Jean/Eren and then this idea came to me and I just had to do it! I hope you all enjoy because it's going to be a crazy ride.
> 
> If you dig it, drop me a line or a kudos! Thanks for reading!


	2. Day 1: Welcome to Palo Alto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which: everyone is moving into the dorms and getting ready for the semester (even Marco who's all alone at Berkley) and making friends and being busy bodies. Plus, some semi-sexin' and cheesy fluff for Jean and Eren just because.

Eren thinks it’s cool that he and Armin are rooming together but it sucks that Mikasa can’t share with them. But, hey, co-ed dorms are awesome, which is why she’s only four doors down and across the hall. Which means the three of them still end up together and life is good.

Her roommate is some small wiry chick named Annie who looks hella apathetic but she ends up being really cool (because she’s in a band and can play the guitar while singing and she does martial arts and- yeah… Eren thinks she’s the shit). Annie’s a lot like Mikasa because she’s kinda soft spoken while being outspoken and you can’t read her with just one glance. Plus, the two of them have the whole martial arts and _two-guys-for-childhood-friends_ thing going for them, which is how Eren and Armin and Mikasa meet Bertolt and Reiner –aka Annie’s bitches. 

Bertolt is quiet but optimistic and a bit of a pushover. He’s like a gentle giant because he doesn’t complain and he’s tall as hell but lanky… all smiles and good natured. Annie manhandles him like he’s a stuffed bear and it makes Eren love her all the more. But Bertolt is ridiculously loveable and charming too –even if he is a quiet pushover. 

Which is fine because Reiner is the “in your face” type –Bertolt’s foil. Reiner is loud and funny and big and handsome and a bundle of restless energy (Eren has a feeling that the guy has ADHD but he has his own bouts of restlessness so it’s fine). Reiner is all muscle and tattoos and big smiles with a booming laugh that just makes a room a bit brighter and rowdier. Eren thinks they’ll be great friends.

Reiner thinks so too but he also called Eren sexy so he might want a different sort of friendship.

Eren won’t mind either way. 

Everyone gets to talking and they find out that Reiner and Bert share a room over in Gavilan so they’re not too far away.

And it works out because Annie says she can’t deal with them being all up in her bubble all of the time so some space is good. 

Eren doesn’t agree (because he, Armin, and Mikasa are soul bound and the thought of parting ways- there are none) but, before he can say anything on the matter his phone vibrates in his back pocket. He pulls it out and stares at the screen.

 **Jean:** _Dude, I just made it here and shits crazy. Where the fuck are you?_

This secret smile tugs at Eren’s lips and it’s a dead giveaway of who he’s texting but he doesn’t care. He texts back: _I’m in Loro, remember? I told you like, three days ago lol_

 **Jean:** _I remember your tongue trying to get at my tonsils and beer but nothing about you staying in FloMo lmao_  
  
Eren flushes at the memory of being tipsy and a bit high with Jean laying in the grass letting himself be kissed on until neither of them can breathe. It didn’t end with sex, just kissing and petting and- yeah. Eren remembers.

 **Eren:** _Hahahahaha yeah… Well, I told you about it. Not my fault you can’t remember XP Where are you?_  
  
**Jean:** _In Cardenal. I can’t believe we’re in the same fucking dorm. What’re the odds?_  
  
The odds…

Eren doesn’t believe in coincidences, just fate. So the _odds_ … he’s starting to believe that he was meant to meet Jean for some reason or another and it boggles his mind. It’s only been a week of playing “getting to know you”, two in-person meetings, and hours of texting/talking every day since the first but Eren feels like he’s known the guy for years. Admittedly, it scares him and he’s just waiting for the down side.

“Must be Jean,” Armin mutters and glances around Eren’s arm to stare at the screen.

Not that that’s a bad thing because Armin likes Jean for Eren. 

Likes him as a person too, although he doesn’t know him well. But he does know that Eren has a lot in common with Jean and that Eren doesn’t go out of his way to make friends (because Eren’ll be content with just Armin and Mikasa forever no matter how they have each other). But people tend to love Eren (even if he doesn’t notice). They get swept up in his confidence and courage and beauty (because Armin knows that Eren is one of the most gorgeous people he’s ever met so he can’t blame people for being attracted to Eren’s Peacock qualities). And people get so caught up in or with or around Eren that Eren’s temper and quirks rarely phase them. 

But people also tend to disappoint because it’s within human nature to eventually disappoint and Eren has been disappointed quite a bit. But Armin has high hopes for Jean who was sucked in from their first argument. If a guy like Jean can put up with arguing with Eren and return to normal just as easily, they should be okay for a while.

Besides, Eren’s socially retarded and straightforward so he never really understands social protocols or signals but it always works in his favor in the end so- Yeah. Armin has high hopes because, despite that, Jean is still into his best friend.

So yes, Armin likes Jean for Eren. 

Mikasa is still undecided. 

She only trusts two people in the world: Armin and Eren. She trusts them with her heart, her soul, her mind, and her body. She’ll give them anything and, in return, she knows that they’ll do the same in a heartbeat. That makes her both possessive and protective. People come and go but the three of them are forever. There’s no promise that Jean will last forever because she’s seen this all before. Eren attracts a lot of different people and he lets them in so easily… so she has to be strong for him. Because Jean isn’t promised to be there or to not disappoint him.

Right now, for her, everyone is in the trial period.

“Who’s Jean?” Reiner looks over Armin’s head at the tiny screen that’s becoming a hot topic.

Eren shrugs. “A friend who just got here.” He realizes he didn’t say anything back but he doesn’t have much to say to that last text except- maybe- _Need help moving in?_

 **Jean:** _If you’re offering. I’m on the top floor at the end of the hall._  
  
“I’m gonna help him and then we can go eat, yeah?” 

“I’ll tag along,” Reiner offers easily and Eren doesn’t mind.

The more the merrier. 

But, see, everyone else in the room figures out why. Reiner probably likes Eren a bit but Eren is always clueless when he’s being chased or hunted or what the fuck ever because he’s an idiot when it comes to those things. Armin and Mikasa always end up feeling sorry for the unfortunate bastards who get attached to their airhead but they like it that way because, when Eren does eventually notice, there’ll be the potential for hurt feelings and no one wants that.

“Cool! We’ll meet you guys in the café.”

The halls are crowded and loud and vibrant as people weave in and out of rooms with too much shit to account for but it’s awesome. There’s this energy in the air that’s contagious and doesn’t feel forced or rushed –it just is. Eren likes it. Likes being away from the cold hustle and bustle that’s LA.

“Man, I hear the food here is the best.” Reiner slings an arm around Eren’s shoulders like it’s something they do all of the time. And Eren doesn’t flinch, which he considers a good thing.

“I heard that too. I’m actually kinda stoked.” Because he really fucking loves food. 

Reiner nods, “Yeah. Hey, you should give me your number.”

“Alright.” Eren can’t see why not. He’s been meeting a lot of new people lately, which he considers a good way to start off his college career.

Reiner counts himself lucky.

* * *

* * *

Jean’s only mildly confused when Eren shows up with some big blond dude who’s draped all over his friend. Mildly. Mildly because Eren introduces them and briefly explains that the guy (Reiner) is Mikasa’s roommate’s childhood friend who felt like coming because he has ADHD, which- okay. 

What the fuck ever. 

Jean doesn’t really care because, between the three of them, they get his shit into his room and out of his Escalade. It all works in his favor in the end so he doesn’t mind the fact that Reiner is all up in his space. Even if Reiner is a bit handsy with Eren and is a loud sonovabitch. Jean does appreciate the fact that Reiner is easy to talk to and digs his ink (also has ink of his own). 

So yeah… it’s all good.

“Where’s your roommate?” Eren sits on the bed and leans back and-

Holy shit, he has his belly button pierced (which Jean hadn’t noticed anytime beforehand) and Jean thinks it’s sexy because that silver goes great against Eren’s tanned skin but he has to ignore it for now. Just for now. “I get the space to myself. I wasn’t in the mood to share.” 

Reality: He’s always been a loner and he’s never liked to share (has always been bad at team or partner things because people suck and he can do it better on his own). His folks bought out his room so he’s set and he’s gonna trick it out to his liking. Plus, he doesn’t have to worry about being disturbed by a dude he doesn’t care about (and he can fuck when or whoever he wants without preamble). 

Eren hears: Jean’s a spoiled brat that had mommy and daddy pull some strings. Not that he can judge or anything because that kind of clout is mildly impressive. 

“We can have some dope parties in here,” Reiner whistle lowly and glances around. He can’t wait to see what Jean does with the space.

Jean doesn’t do parties or people in his personal space but he’s not in the mood to explain himself. He has shit to do. “You guys said we’re supposed to be eating, right?”

“Yeah.” Eren glances at his phone and snaps a quick pick for Mikasa and Armin where Jean is the backdrop. There! They can stop pestering him about fooling around when he’s not but he wouldn’t mind if he were.

“Sweet. We gotta hurry though because I’m supposed to meet up with Connie and Sasha.” Not that it’s on the top of his to do list but, the sooner he gets it over with-

Eren smiles and it catches the room off guard. “Tell ‘em to come eat with us.”

Jean groans internally because that want is there and he has to control it because they have company. Or, better yet, he has to control himself because he doesn’t exactly understand what kind of relationship they’re forming but following Eren’s whims at the moment doesn’t seem awful. He’s just going with the flow, which isn’t too unusual –a bit _rare_ but not _unusual_.

So he shoots Connie a text and Connie texts back that he and Sasha’ll drive over.

“We good to go?” Reiner’s leaning in the doorway, blue eyes on Eren.

Eren nods. “Yeah.”

They walk through the busy halls chatting about random shit (wherein Eren learns that Jean is there on a track scholarship so he’s not that spoiled and Reiner is there on a soccer scholarship, which oddly suits him). Reiner and Jean don’t have much in common outside of sports, the gym, and tattoos but Eren considers himself the bridge between them because he has enough in common with them both (like, he and Reiner like a lot of the same bands; he and Jean love physics and computer science because of the facts).

When they get to the café, it’s hella packed but Armin says he saved them a table and spots so-

“Over here!” Connie and Sasha are there and waving and Sasha has like, three plates in front of her already-

“She eats a lot.” Jean says flippantly because he’s used to her habits after a decade of friendship.

Eren shrugs.

Reiner thinks she’s a woman after his own heart.

But, yeah… that’s how the group forms during move-in weekend and more people shift in after a while. 

For instance, Sasha’s roommate Krista turns out to be an angel. A real, in the flesh, honest to god angel sent to the earth by mistake, however, the angel is shackled to a devil called Ymir. Ymir who’s loud, aggressive, and a total dick but, for some ungodly reason, she managed to snag someone like Krista. 

Everyone immediately feels iffy about Ymir but falls for Krista.

Everyone except Eren who doesn’t give a fuck about butting heads with the devil and the two of them argue to the point where people are watching but they don’t give a shit.

Eren stands by the fact that Ymir is a, “bitter, rude, and condescending bitch who Krista’s only with because she’s probably too nice to tell anyone to fuck off”.

Ymir can’t help herself when she sneers because she thinks Eren is, “a little man with an inferiority complex who couldn’t get some good dick or pussy if it slapped him in the face, which is why he’s so tense and easy to provoke”.

The two go back and forth for a while –both slinging insults like daggers aimed straight for the heart. But then, Ymir starts laughing and declares that Eren’s got balls of steel to keep up with her. She likes him and likes that he doesn’t back down or take anyone’s shit. Ymir’s reminded of her younger self (she’s a second year junior) so he gets her seal of approval.

Eren is a bit confused by the sudden turn with their back-and-forth but takes the comparison as a compliment and accepts her acquaintanceship.

Which is really how the group forms and completes itself –minus Marco who’s at Berkley.

* * *

* * *

They spend the rest of the day walking around campus as one big ass imposing group, taking the free shit that the student organizations and Greeks are dishing out as welcome gifts and enticements. 

Not surprisingly, Stanford is a gorgeous campus with a shit ton going on for the first day of Welcome Week. There’s food and people and games and tournaments and- holy shit… there’s a full on fucking carnival near the lake but Jean’s over it. 

He wants to go back to his room and start organizing his shit.

Jean wants to ignore the ditzy girl coming onto him when all he really wants is the fucking funnel cake that he ordered five minutes ago but his bored stare and bland tone aren’t scaring her away.

“Man, it’s not done yet?” Eren sidles up beside him and flashes the girl a quick smile before he stares up at Jean with those hypnotizing eyes-

Jean runs a hand through his hair and sighs, “Nope. Still waiting…” He loosely wraps his arm around Eren’s waist and hopes that she gets the hint –even if it isn’t the truth.

But she does get the hint and she turns around without saying much more than, “Coming up.”

Eren laughs a bit but doesn’t move away. “Sasha sent me to check on you because you looked miserable.”

Actually: Sasha sent Eren over because she’s trying to play matchmaker for one of her best friends and her oblivious new friend. She knows that Jean hates systematic social functions that are used to sway the masses and blah blah blah more about propaganda for the masses but he’s there and it probably has a bit to do with Eren. So yes, she’s being a good friend and she’s helping in her own way.

Which Jean reads into when she gives him a thumbs up.

“I’m not miserable, just really fucking bored.” 

“How can you be bored with all of the shit going on? Aren’t you the least bit excited?”

“Excited about what? Becoming a study drone for the next four years? Living below my means? Being subjected to jackasses who think they’re hot shit because they go to Stanford? Or, better yet, being subjected to every and any college stereotype and trope because we’re first years and society has trained the masses in the art of ‘monkey see, monkey do’? I’m pumped.” And Jean wants to go on and on but he cuts himself short.

Eren frowns. “You’re kind of a pessimistic ass, aren’t you?”

“Nah, I just look at the world how it really is.” Because, if you expect too much from the world, everything will eventually turn to shit.

Glass half empty indeed.

“Now I see why Connie kept saying you need more friends. You probably chase them all away with your cynicism.”

Jean finds himself smirking and winding both arms around Eren’s waist. “I haven’t scared you away-” 

“Because I’m not afraid of anything. And you’re kind of an entertaining prick.”

Jean laughs. “Kind of?”

“Kind of.”

Jean tips his head forward, lips pressed to Eren’s ear, “Come to my room?”

Eren shivers. He shivers and thinks that that’s exactly what he wants to do at that very moment because Jean is sexy and he wants Jean who wants him but… But. But he’s spending the first day with the two people who hold his heart in a vice grip. But he’s equally as interested in continuing their trek around campus. But he’s trying to hold back and leave a little something to Jean’s imagination.

“What would we do in your room?” Because he’ll go, just later and there won’t be sex.

“Listen to good music while I unpack my shit.” Jean wants more but he can’t at the moment. Eren’s company will be enough because he just wants to get to know the person in his arms. It’s unfathomable but the truth. “Talk… normal things.”

“I can meet you there in an hour or two.” Because he’s sure that they won’t want to walk around for longer than that. “Or you can stick it out with us now and we can go back together.” Eren snags Jean’s funnel cake and leans back a bit but stays in Jean’s space.

Jean takes the bite that Eren offers. “As much fun as that could be, I’m gonna head back but I’ll see you later.” Jean grabs his plate and rustles Eren’s hair and almost dodges the punch thrown his way. Almost. It makes him wince.

Eren laughs and goes back over the group yelling, “Spoil sport,” over his shoulder.

* * *

* * *

Armin and Mikasa think Eren’s being cute.

He’s being cute because he’s into Jean and, despite the possibilities of failure, an Eren who’s into someone other than either of them is just ridiculously adorable. He gets all glowy and gorgeous and his eyes get impossibly bright and he’s just- he’s so incredible that he deserves those snatches of being excited about someone outside of them. 

So yes, Eren is pining a bit and it’s been a while since they’ve seen that side to him (not since “he who shall not be named”). 

So, even though they’re supposed to spend the first day together and they’re having fun and Reiner is flirting while Eren eats it up and spits it back, Mikasa and Armin send him over to Jean’s place. 

It’s where Eren wants to be and they’re fine with that because they already have Eren more than anyone else ever will.

Eren’s a bit perplexed when they tell him that he’s free to go and he protests but they don’t let up and they kiss him and hug him and tell him that they’ll see him later or tomorrow –it doesn’t matter which. 

When Eren knocks on Jean’s door an hour after they parted ways, Jean yells for him to come in. 

Inside is… coming along nicely. There’s carpet and a big ass flat screen on the wall and music playing from Pandora on the PS4 and- fuck! Jean must have every gaming system lined up on his entertainment center and Eren’s impressed. There’s a black couch that he vaguely remembers Reiner carrying in in a box and the bed is pushed under the window with a shit ton of fucking pillows and… it’s coming along.

“I like FTSE,” Eren comments as the door shuts behind him.

Jean glances up and smirks. “So you do have good taste after all.” He laughs when a hoodie comes hurtling his way and he catches it.

“I’m not a music snob like you, asshole.”

“I’m not a music snob, I can just tell the difference between the shit that sucks and the shit that sounds good.” Jean stands and walks over to where Eren’s eyeing his records (and yes, he has records and a record player but he swears he’s not a hipster).

“Whatever the case, you have alright taste.” Eren turns his head and he’s caught in Jean’s intense honey-brown gaze. Feels like his soul is being looked into and it makes him squirm.

A light smirk tugs at pierced lips when Jean takes a mental snapshot of the emotion embedded in turquoise corneas. Surprise, lust, elation, fear, curiosity… It’s all there and Eren reads like an open book. His eyes the keys to his soul. But, see, that’s the thing that Jean really digs about Eren. 

The guy can’t lie.

Neither verbally or physically.

He just oozes truth with the confidence to wield it. Eren doesn’t need to lie to get his point across. And, sure, he’s only known the guy for about a week but he talks to him constantly –as though it’s something they’ve always done. Besides, who needs to know people for eternity these days? The fun is all wrapped up in getting to know someone and figuring them out slowly (that means taking the time to discover a person mentally, physically, and spiritually). 

Jean’s all about getting to know the ones that stand out amongst all of the gray in the world.

So Eren –Eren who’s honest and stubborn and opinionated and loyal and everything that Jean is, only for different reasons- Eren is like a rainbow. 

Or a breath of fresh air.

And that makes him incredibly beautiful.

Not that he wouldn’t be beautiful even if he weren’t all of those things because, if Eren were just a guy that he passed on the street and knew jack-shit about, Jean wholeheartedly believes that he’d still think that Eren was beautiful and he’d still want to covet him like no other. 

He’d still want him.

“Stop staring at me like that.” Eren is flushed down to his chest because Jean’s looking at him with those eyes and he’s saying so much without saying anything at all- Fucking unnerving and-

“Like what?” Jean asks as he moves forward and Eren turns around but back’s into the record shelf.

Pink lips purse and twist as dark brows crease, “I dunno. That!” Like Jean wants to tear him limb from limb or fuck him into oblivion. It’s a toss-up but the stare makes Eren want to crawl out of his skin either way.

Jean’s chuckle is deep and rich and as suggestive as the hands that he tentatively slide up Eren’s hips. “Can’t help how I look at you.” Which is the truth. He can’t control it.

Eren’s skin prickles as a chill races down his spine. Jean is a smooth sonovabitch –he’ll give him that. But- “I thought we were just gonna talk and listen to music while you unpack?” What happened to that plan?

“Those were my intentions, I swear.”

“Then what are we doing?”

“It’s up to you.” Because Jean can totally deal with rejection from Eren because it’s not a _‘never’_ , it’s more of a _‘not right now’_. And that’s fine by him.

But Eren- “Go sit on the couch.” Eren wants Jean all because of those seductive amber irises so to hell with his earlier plan because, when they’re together, shit just feels electromagnetic. 

Jean doesn’t waste any time. He sits on the couch and Eren watches him for a moment before he walks across the room and- and yeah. The now familiar weight of Eren in his lap and their mouths greedily searching and seeking is a godsend. Like they were starving and didn’t even know it or notice it until they were tangled up. So Jean enjoys the way Eren licks into his mouth and tugs at his lips with his teeth. And he enjoys the feel of soft flesh beneath the pads of his fingers as his hands push up Eren’s shirt. But nothing quite compares to the sounds that he manages to wring from Eren’s pretty wet mouth. Like angel notes, those tones. 

When Eren leans back, lips swollen and shirt crinkled, he looks Jean dead in the eyes and says, “I’m not planning on fucking you any time soon.” Because he actually holds sex to a high standard and he doesn’t just have sex with anyone who’s willing (otherwise he’d be having a lot of fucking sex). He also likes and respects Jean far more than just keeping him as someone to fool around with and they started things all wrong but the magnetism is to blame so-

“That’s fine, I mean- yeah?” Which comes out sounding like a question even though Jean doesn’t mean for it to.

Eren just laughs and kisses at Jean’s right bite. “I like you as a person so, I mean, I know I’m probably confusing as fuck but we’ve been on high-speed since we met and I don’t want to ruin this,” he waves his hands in a gesture that’s meant to symbolize them or whatever. “I’m not saying that I won’t have sex with you but, I don’t think we should only a week in.”

Regretfully, Jean agrees. 

Usually, he’s fine with fucking a person once or twice and then tossing them aside because that was their purpose and they’re either not interesting enough to keep around or he never intended to in the first. 

Usually, Jean meets people who he either can’t stand or who he gets along with ridiculously well and the latter are the ones that become his friends (which he can count on one hand).

But then, there’s Eren.

That first day at the beach, were it not for Sasha and Connie and beer and weed and Marco telling him to give Eren another shot, Jean wouldn’t know that he might’ve found his soul-mate. And not the typical, sappy, eternal lovers type of soul-mate (because loves a total sham) but the _"our souls are ridiculously compatible so we click well"_ type of soul-mate. Jean can tell because they have a shit ton in common and a shit ton that they don’t have in common. He and Eren can talk for hours or they can just sit and share space or they can get so intertwined and caught up in each other that they blend into one. 

And it’s all so incredible because Jean has never felt like this with anyone else.

It’s not love. 

Maybe a bit of a crush but definitely not love (because that she doesn't really exist anyway but Jean doesn't want to get into that.

He just knows that, whatever is going on- it’s some force beyond either one of them that makes him want to stick to Eren and know him inside and out. He wants to fill up Eren’s head space and he knows that, when they do have actual sex, it’s going to be an experience that he’ll never forget and he’ll probably chase after it for a long time to come.

So Eren’s right, they’ve been on high-speed because they’ve been caught up in an experience that they’ve never dealt with but they need to dial it back a bit. Just a bit because Jean was already addicted to those sinful lips- “What’s your favorite color?”

Eren raises a brow and stares at Jean but retorts without a hitch, “Green. You?”

“Blue. Favorite food?”

Eren laughs and shifts a bit until he’s more comfortably seated in Jean’s lap. “Meat.”

“That’s a food group.”

“I love meat, any meat so long as it’s meat. I don’t look’it but I eat a helluva lot.” Eren considers food the key to all things holy and he could eat all day long if it were possible. “What’s yours, then?”

“Sweets,” Because Jean has an insatiable sweet tooth.

Oddly enough, Eren can picture it. “So this is the bit where we’re talking, right?”

Jean nods and rests his hands on Eren’s thighs, “Yeah. Talking and listening to music, right?” 

They both laugh at that because, even though it’s announced now, it doesn’t feel like forced conversation.

“Right…” 

What ends up happening is exactly that. 

They spend five or six hours parroting questions and answers back and forth and going off on tangents to explain shit or to discuss things. They spend those hours talking and invading each other’s space because it’s comfortable and- sure. There’s a part in there where they get handsy and lips are pressed to flesh but it all leads back to conversation in the end.

And then Eren’s leaving because Armin and Mikasa come up in conversation and he’s not leaving them alone the whole night (even though it’s three in the morning when he forces himself to leave Jean’s room).

Jean doesn’t let him leave without a kiss and a grope and he wants him to stay, even if it means they’re just laying in bed talking.

But Eren leaves and he winds up wrapped up in Armin and Mikasa on the floor in his dorm and it’s just as good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woot, WOOT! Second chapter in the bag! Hope it was great! Any criticisms are welcomed and- yeah! 
> 
> Thoughts for fodder: Kinky sex? I dig it and I think they'll dig it too!


	3. Day 17: Upper Classmen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which: the trio reflects on the past and how _they_ came to be. Or the one where Jean and Eren have their first real fight (as friends) and then make up, which leads to Jean thinking about how awesome Eren is and sweet talking Eren without meaning to but it's all good because it leads to sex. And sex they do have.

Eren, Armin, and Mikasa aren’t like every other freshman that decides to go to college and show up without a plan or their whole plan is to party and spend the first year in a daze or blur because it doesn’t count.

See, those three made two goals: leave LA and leave together.

(For the most part) They struggled in their daily lives all the way from grade school to high school and they swore that the after would be different. 

Rewind: Armin lives in a home where his parents are socialites and elites among a sea of elites in LA. Armin lives in a home where he was mistake that they were forced to take care of –that they were forced to raise and to be together for because that’s the world they belong to. And so, they think the key to solving problems lays in money –it’s what their parents and grands and great grands and so on have taught them. A lesson that they hope to pass on to their brat but it gets thrown out the window before it’s even established. 

See, Armin has an in call doctor who brings his kid and that kid, along with his dad, are nothing like Armin and his dad (or Mihael because his parents are on a first name basis with him). 

That kid, the one he sees every week, plays with him and, when the nannies approve, Armin is allowed to go out into the world with that energetic boy and he loves it. Learns what it feels like to see love in action or to know love because that boy has that with his dad and his (late now) mom.

But Armin’s parents… they give Armin all of the money and spoils in the world but they don’t love him and they leave him home and ignore him more than a kid knows what to do with. Where most kids would be happy, Armin is miserable because he just wants to know that he’s loved like that boy is loved or to know that he has a place to call home but he never finds that in his parents or in his achievements. 

And he works so hard for it, too. He does everything positive to get their attention because achievements work in that world but it never works on them because they never wanted him or each other to begin with.

But that boy –Eren- saves him and then they meet Mikasa when they’re about six and the three of them save each other. 

So Armin finds his place. His home and his love. He finds it in Eren and Mikasa.

Rewind: Mikasa’s mother is a prostitute and she never knows who her dad is but she knows who he isn’t and that he’s never been one of the dozens of men that her mother shifts through their door throughout the day. 

By the age of six, Mikasa’s used to the routine where she wanders around outside for a bunch of hours until she knows it’s safe-ish to go home. At age six, she meets two boys in the park and they become her comfort and safe haven. They show her that good men exist or are born into the world because they feed her and give her coats and scarves on cold days and they drag her to martial arts (she’s a genius it seems) and they take care of her and their parents invite her over and- yeah. She learns that her world isn’t as warped as she believes it to be but they’ll probably be the only men she’ll ever trust –ever.

By 13, Mikasa’s learned all sorts of things about the world and people and the filth that slinks through her door. But she doesn’t know how bad it really is until the night her mother’s nth boyfriend burst into her room while Eren’s over and he gets handsy with her and Eren defends her like his life is on the line, which it turns out to be. The asshole that claims the title as her mother’s boyfriend is on some heavy sort of psychedelics and is drunk and he has a knife and when her mother comes to defend her –them-, he stabs her mother in the chest and when he turns on Eren, she sees red. 

She sees his life –their life –her life flash before her eyes. 

And when red fades to black fades to reality, the guy is dead and her mother’s bleeding out and not breathing. Eren’s there and he’s not freaking out but she is.

At some point, Armin gets there and the police and Eren’s dad who loves her and who calls in a lawyer friend as a favor and things get settled quickly and quietly. At some point, she gets pushed off on a relative that she doesn’t know she has but he lives close to Eren and Armin so she accepts it because she’ll be 18 soon and it won’t matter. After all, she still has Eren and Armin and, when she really thinks about it, they’re all that she’s ever had.

Rewind: Eren thinks life is peachy. Ridiculously fucking peachy. His dad is a doctor that does house calls for California’s finest but the man isn’t a snob and he puts time into a few of the local clinics too (giving back). His dad is a good man. His mom is a gorgeous woman who tries hard to keep up with him and his whims because he’s all energy and spunk and he’s only three but she’s so sick (has a disease he can’t pronounce) yet she loves him and does everything that she can to see him –them happy. They’re well off but Eren’s not spoiled because his wants are minimal and they instill all kinds of values and beliefs and practical ideologies into their boy -they teach him lessons that no school ever could and they encourage him to view the world.

Outspoken, charismatic, and energetic Eren meets Armin when they’re four and it’s an immediate connection because Eren hates how sad the toddler looks or how hollow his giant house with all of the things feels. He wants that kid to be happy so he swears that it’s his goal to do just that. 

Courageous, outgoing, and emotionally contagious Eren drags Armin over to the girl at the swings that he sees all of the time and, though she looks cold and uncaring because she’s so pretty and sullen, she’s got that same look on her face that Armin had. It’s just worse but he wants to fix her too. Wants her to not be scared and to smile and to eat the cookies his mom baked because they’re so good and she looks like she needs one.

So Eren makes these friends and he teaches them about the world at large in his own ways and then, one day, things change. 

See, Eren watches his mother die and, in that, his father dies too. His mother dies from the disease that he once couldn’t pronounce but knows inside and out by age 13 (Huntington’s Disease). His father dies inside and becomes a shell of himself when the love of his life is snatched away and he tried everything to keep her there. 

The death of his mother makes him numb but the death of his father gives him the courage to go on.

Eren loves his parents, loves all that they’ve done and did for him up to that point so he feels like they prepared him to be alone in the end. So when his father takes on job after job and becomes Armin’s parents and when his mother leaves him with nothing but memories like Mikasa’s mom –he takes it in stride because it’s all that he can do. Because his parents raised him to be strong and gave him all of the tools in the world to fend for himself if need be. 

But he’s not by himself. He knows he’ll always have Armin and Mikasa, even if the world shits all over him –not that he casts the world aside on account of his parents. 

Present: They struggled and they survived and they vowed that the after would be different.

And it is.

The after is very different because they went through high school and worked their asses off to achieve good grades in higher level courses. They fought tooth and nail to grasp at college credits beforehand so they won’t become struggling first years who don’t know what the hell they’re going to do with their lives.

Unlike their peers, they have a bit of leeway because they are, technically, juniors. They have the freedom to play around and test out the waters but they all know what they want to do.

Armin loves the arts and he loves writing and reading and books and paper and- Armin knows that he wants to spend the rest of his life writing so he takes up a double major in English and Creative Writing.

Mikasa has this thing where she wants to save children from situations like her own so she’s big into Child Psychology but she doesn’t discount regular Psychology so she takes them both on with a minor in political science because she wants to be well rounded. 

Eren’s always had a thing for building something out of nothing and computers and sciences so he goes for Physics and tacks on Computer Science and Engineering because he’s indecisive. Knowing him, he’ll keep all three, just because.

So, no. They know they’re not like the people that they’re meeting but they don’t mind because that’s just life and that’s why they escaped to college.

They left for the future and to be together and to find a happily ever after together –never apart. 

College is their new beginning and an end to any of the bullshit from the pasts. Except, all of them are human and those scars can’t be removed or forgotten –just embraced and tolerated. Being together helps.

* * *

* * *

Eren’s not normal, which makes him unique. So fucking unique that the psyche takes time to catch up with him.

For instance, he smokes but he doesn’t smoke. He hates cigarettes and cigars but he can craftily role a blunt and light up and toke by himself or with a group but tobacco’s a no go. That’s weird to most people but not to him. Claims that weed comes from “the mother” and it’s safe –for the most part. Tobacco’s manmade and dangerous and deathly. 

Or that he got his bellybutton pierced because he thinks it's awesome _and_ it gives people something to look at when they've got their head nestled between his thighs. It was a two for one combo -acording to Eren.

But, there’s more.

For instance, he has trigger words that set him off. Most people find out the hard way that normal phrases like “parent’s suck” or “God, life is hard” can get him going on a tirade that (though it sounds stupid and unfounded in the moment) leaves the person at the tail end looking like a jackass and feeling all types of ways about the world, themself, or Eren in general. And the shit always comes out of nowhere or seems unfounded but it’s probably (mostly) warranted for whoever ends up on the receiving end of one of Eren’s set-offs.

But he’s not all bad.

Like, his uniqueness extends beyond his odd quirks and sets into his personality. 

For instance, he talks animatedly with his hands and it’s as hilarious as it is cute. Or when he laughs, he laughs with his everything and when he’s angry and is yelling, it’s the same. Or the way he does the thing with his tongue and only a handful of people know about the thing he does with his tongue but they’ll swear they’ve never felt anyone else do the thing with the tongue and they’ll be telling the truth. 

Yeah, Eren is wickedly unique and a head turner or hard to wrap the head around but Jean… Jean’s really invested at this point and he’ll keep on enjoying and hating how fucking unique Eren is.

Which is how he endures their first real argument.

As in, they really get red in the face and collar grappling when Jean brings up the subject of altruism and how it’s fake, which somehow circles back to love being false and a cover up for the real forces that push people together (Natural Selection and Darwinian theories ensue). Of course, Eren finds that entire argument flawed and mucked up because it doesn’t explain a person’s devotion to those held dear who are neither a mate nor kin (e.g. it completely disregards and patronizes his love for Mikasa and Armin who are almost his entire world or even his parents).

What Eren hears: His emotions are fake. His relationships are fake. Everything is fake.

What Jean intended: A scholarly debate on altruism that isn’t supposed to degrade into discourse on the validity of emotions but it does.

It doesn’t end in blows because Eren would never lay his hands on a friend but he doesn’t talk to Jean for a solid week (ignores texts and calls and sits elsewhere during their joint classes).

Jean gets that he poked at a touchy subject. 

He only gets it after taking two days to cool his head and then another day when Armin takes pity on him and explains a few things. (Like Eren’s sensitivity with regard to emotion and bonds or why Eren gets intense when the subject comes up.)

Had Jean known that Eren has emotional complexes and scars on account of childhood bullshit, he would’ve worded shit differently but he didn’t know that then. Now he knows and wants to fix shit but Eren’s not in the mood.

So he waits one full week because he’s unsure of how much space the guy needs but a week should do for most anyone and then he corners Eren after class in the hallway and he doesn’t give a damn about who’s watching them do what the fuck ever in the hallway. 

Eren’s defiant gaze sets his blood on a frenzy but Jean ignores that and draws out his words carefully. “Look, I didn’t mean to offend you-”

“But you did,” Eren’s quick retort is sharp and aimed perfectly to kill.

It doesn’t. “I did and now we’re here. You plan on writing me off?”

Eren bites his lip and glances at the ceiling like he’s thinking about it –honest to god considering it. And Jean- “If I planned on writing you off, I would’ve punched you square in the mouth that day.” He looks thoughtful or like he’s just realized that he had no intention of ever cutting Jean out and then he smiles and flushes down to his neck. “That conversation caught me on a bad day but I overreacted and we’re good.”

Jean wants to be pissed because Eren boggles his mind in the worst ways so he’s not pissed and he blames those eyes and- yeah. It’s Eren. Unique as fuck Eren. “Dinner date, then?” Because it’s been a week and he really does miss all things Eren and he’s probably talked Marco, Sasha, and Connie’s ears off about the guy.

Eren nods. “Yeah- Alright.” He casts a quick glance at the clock before a slow smirk tugs at his mouth, “Still think I’m crazy as fuck.” Because Jean had said it and Eren wasn’t offended –not by that.

“More now than before,” Which Jean has to laugh about because it’s true but he’s so into it because it keeps him on his toes and it’s a break from the mundane things in life. 

Eren laughs and slides his fingers easily through his thick dark chocolate hair. “Well… as long as you can keep up.”

Jean’s thoughts were along the same line and he wonders if he’s that transparent but doesn’t bother to asks, instead, he steps forward a bit and crowds Eren’s space. “You’re manageable so I can deal. For now.”

“If you say so.” Eren tilts his head to press a kiss to Jean’s waiting chin but leaves it at that as he slyly moves away. “I’ll text you around seven.”

Jean watches him disappear around the corner and can’t help but to wonder what the hell he’s getting himself into.

* * *

* * *

Jean knows that people form a lot of opinions about him based on different things.

His appearance sometimes gives the impression that he’s a hoodlum or a troublesome dude or badass in general but, in all honesty, he’s always had a thing for tatts and piercings and the firsts of both were only gateways to all that he has. He just likes how he looks and the tattoos have their own meanings. And he’s got a nice body but that’s because he runs and surfs and he considers it a much appreciated sideffect of those things.

His attitude gives more impressions than none. He comes off as mysterious and aloof because he rarely goes out of his way to interact with the world because he’s a bit arrogant and stubborn and a total asshole when he wants to be –which people get. Eventually. If he likes a person, he’s still the same, just tolerable and easy to handle because people get his quirks pretty quick. If he hates a guy, that’s all there is to it. 

His style makes him seem like a hipster because he digs slacks and sweaters and v-necks and is a media elitist that finds release through existential crisis. But he’s also an athlete who loves to run and digs the endorphins and high that he gets from the air rushing past him and filling his lungs. 

His blond hair gives the vague assumption that he could be an idiot –especially when paired with all of the other things about him. But he’s the opposite. He’s ridiculously intellectual and studious in his studies. Science is his passion and Metaphysics holds his heart in a vice grip.

So, yes- Jean knows that a lot of people assume a myriad of things about him upon first glance and that some of the assumptions are true or that he doesn’t care enough to correct them. 

Rewind: Jean’s a guy born and raised in Beverly Hills because his mom’s an heiress and his dad’s a celeb lawyer and he has two older sister’s that he doesn’t care for and that don’t care for him but his parents love him and spoil him a bit. Even though he comes from money, he’s worked his whole life because that’s what his parent taught him. From the ground up, he generally works for everything that he wants. 

So he’s not a spoiled rich kid like a lot of the people he was forced to interact with as a child and teen. He knows the value of a dollar and can judge a person’s actually worth –not their monetary value. 

But that life has made him a cynic and has made the world seem so shallow and gray because all of the people he’s been steeped in (aside from his parents) are, for the most part, bigoted and judgmental and snobbish and those are things that he’s never wanted to be. Ever. So Jean has a harsh outlook on the world and the people that consume it. He thinks having a good work ethic is everything and being alone is better than being with others.

That’s not to say that he hates people entirely because Jean likes sex and intimacy. He likes getting out of his headspace courtesy of a warm body pressed against him. He’s used people for intimacy purposes (many, many people) but he prefers real bonds. 

See, he likes conversations that don’t get stale or sharing a space with someone who he doesn’t need to tend to. But the world offers him so few of those people so Jean ends up with only Marco and Connie and Sasha all through grade school and beyond. They somehow manage not to irritate him and they have good heads on their shoulders so Jean keeps them around. Plus, they’re the ones who teach him that the world isn’t all gray and dull and pessimisms that stem from a crumbling and corrupt value system for the youth.

Reality: Jean knows what most people assume about him and they usually bring it up and there’s some kind of discussion about it. But… but he can’t, for the life of himself, figure out what the hell goes through Eren’s head with regard to, well, himself.

And that makes him do something that he’s never done before –he asks one night while they’re sitting in his room going over easy calc equations and formulas (a normal night by any standards).

Eren stares at him, turquoise eyes bright in the dimly lit room. “Think about you in what way?” Because he gets and doesn’t get the question.

And Jean feels a bit embarrassed because he’s never had to go digging for an opinion on himself but he wants to know what Eren thinks or is thinking because he can rarely ever tell. “I dunno –any way, I guess.”

“Then I like you, _I guess_.” Eren mocks and smiles when Jean frowns. “I’m glad you’re not a dumbass and I’m glad you’re not lazy. I think you’re funny and your sarcasm and witty quips are amusing. I also think you’re stubborn and we’re opposite enough where some of the shit that you say or do bugs the fuck outta me but I like that too. I mean, life would be boring if everyone were my carbon copy so, yeah. I think you’re the bee’s knees if that’s what you’re asking.”

It is exactly what Jean is asking and it makes him insanely overjoyed to hear all of that shit because those are Eren’s unfiltered thoughts –so honest. And Jean doesn’t even care about his homework anymore (they’re one problem away from being done as it is).

He’s staring at Eren and it’s that look –the one Eren loves and hates at the same time. “Stop staring!” Now he feels hot down to his bones and his skin is tinged pink.

Jean just laughs and puts his pen down, chair rolling back a bit. “Can’t help it.”

“So you keep telling me.” Eren stares back, still pink in the face but he tries to play it off with a coy smirk that makes him look sensual. “Why not? What makes you look at me like that?” He’s been wondering now what that look is and what it means besides the implications of how it makes him feel.

Jean’s mouth opens and clicks shut because he knows what to say but doesn’t know how to say it without sounding like a total fucking moron- “I can’t help it because you’re gorgeous and every time I look at you I’m kind of awed and I know I sound like a tool right now but it’s the truth.” Telling another guy that he’s gorgeous is always a risk but Eren really is. 

He’s the epitome of beauty to Jean and Jean has seen a lot of “beautiful” people.

“You don’t sound like a tool.” The words are murmured softly as Eren pushes away from the desk to walk over to Jean. “Because you’re not the first person to call me ‘gorgeous’.” 

Armin never lets him forget that he thinks Eren is beautiful, nor does Mikasa. But Eren’s always perplexed when they tell him things like that because he thinks the opposite. He thinks that Armin and Mikasa are ethereal with their looks and personalities. He thinks that they’re petite and perfect and everything that he can’t be. He’s watched people try to lay claim to them but nothings ever stuck but Eren knows that one day it’ll happen and those people will be so lucky because Armin and Mikasa hold a splendor that he can’t light a match to.

But then, he meets Jean who stares at him the way he catches himself sometimes staring at Armin and Mikasa and it makes his nerves short-circuit because Jean is so open about staring at him in that way. It’s mind numbing a bit and all too flattering.

Jean isn’t the first person to call him gorgeous but Eren thinks he really likes it when Jean says it.

“Homework break?” Jean asks when Eren tugs him from the chair and goads him towards the bed.

“Homework break.” Eren agrees because, obviously, Jean is one hell of a smooth talker without even trying and Eren lets himself fall for it because he likes the feeling.

Jean wants to be content with letting Eren lead but he’s wanted to touch the guy all night so he’s the first one to make a move –to push Eren onto the mattress and to ease between those thighs, mouth going for gold. Kissing Eren is always like lighting a fire in his chest that travels south to his gut and then attempting to put it out. It makes him greedy and hungry and ravenous because Eren is delicious –from his taste to his touch and the sounds he pushes out in between. Delicious.

And Jean’s always been one to please. He finds as much pleasure in dishing it out as he does in taking it. When he slinks down a bit and pushes Eren’s shirt up and off, he smirks wickedly in to dazed aqua eyes before he licks and kisses his way down to that belly ring. Eren’s legs clench and grip as hands dive towards Jean’s head but Jean doesn’t stop. He just swirls his tongue around that metal stud, the ball of his own piercing toying with the naval and-

Before he can move on, Eren’s pulling him up and licking into his mouth like he needs him there. 

When they pull apart, Eren’s mouth is wet and his lips are plump but he’s staring like he’s craving just the same. “A couple weeks back we talked about high-speed and slowing down but, fuck-” Eren’s hands go to Jean’s sweater and he’s tugging it off- “You’ve got condoms and lube, right?”

And Jean’s mouth goes dry because he doesn’t know how many times he’s gotten off to Eren saying a variation of those words in his dreams but it’s happening and- “Yeah, in the drawer beside the bed.”

“Cool.” Eren smiles and nips at Jean’s lips before sliding his hands over the defined muscle of Jean’s chest, “You’re okay with this, yeah?” Because Eren wants to have sex with Jean at that very moment and he wants it to not be weird after and he thinks Jean is incredibly sexy and that mouth with those hands drives him fucking insane –he can’t stand it.

Besides, they’ve been skirting around it since they met but that was a little over a month ago so it should be fine. They should be alright.

“Definitely.” Which should have been more than obvious but Eren is dense and unique so Jean lets it go and works on that mouth.

He’s been waiting for this moment since that first night in his car so he wants to take it slow and savor it.

* * *

* * *

Eren can’t breathe.

He can’t breathe and he can barely grasp at a thought because he’s spread open and Jean’s head is between his legs and Jean’s tongue is pressing at that puckered ring of muscle (aka his ass) and he can’t. Eren just can’t. He feels like he’s coming apart at the seams and he wants to squeeze his legs shut but Jean’s got a firm grip on his thighs and he’s keeping him spread –legs pushed apart and cock at attention.

Eren can’t breathe.

So he grips at the sheets and bites down on his lower lip until he taste copper because he wants to scream but he can’t breathe and- fuck! “Please…” He mewls because he needs Jean to stop the torture. 

Jean smirks and pushes his tongue deeper before he retracts it all together and leans back, gaze burning Eren to the core. “Please what?”

“Fuck me.” Eren doesn’t hesitate because he wants it and he wants Jean in him right that moment. Yes, he needs to be prepped because it’ll hurt like a sonovabitch if he isn’t and yes, he wants to fully enjoy it but Jean is killing him slowly. 

Plans of payback flit through Eren’s mind because he’s good at sex when he’s not letting someone else lead but that’s for later. For now, he wants Jean to move the foreplay along so that they can get to the good stuff because neither of them are virgins and both of them know what it’s like to be with a man.

Instead of just agreeing and going along with Eren’s whining (which Jean finds incredibly arousing), he grabs the lube from the stand and nods, “I plan to.” He plans to fuck Eren into his mattress, up against his wall, in the common’s shower, on the couch… they’re just getting started.

So Jean’s mouth moves back to the task at hand as he slicks his fingers and moves a bit to get his index finger inside and Eren’s tighter deeper in so Jean knows that it’s been awhile. But he pushes his slicked finger in and watches Eren squirm above him, that beautiful face pulled into a mild frown. Jean gets a second finger in and now he’s searching. He’s scissoring his fingers and working them down to the knuckle and still-

“Fuck yes!” Eren cries as his head sways and his heels dig into the sheets.

There it is. Jean sits up now, moves closer and mouths at Eren’s shaft as he works in a third finger. He’s teasing Eren with the ball of his tongue piercing, sliding it over a sensitive vein while he prods at the gorgeous little gland buried deep inside with his fingers and- Fuck, Jean’s hard and he’s ready and Eren makes it so hard for him to take his time.

It’s hard to stop but he manages to pull his fingers away and stand up. Eren’s laying there flushed and sweaty and gorgeous and panting –his knuckles bone white from gripping at the sheets.

God… Jean _wants_ like a kid who’s never _had_.

He tugs his boxers off and slides on a condom. It’s harder to slick himself up with Eren watching and making his cock twitch like this is his first rodeo. Even so, Jean manages and he climbs onto the bed and pushes at Eren’s legs for a mental snapshot before he settles between kiss-marked thighs.

“We gonna do this today?” Eren taunts with a quirk of his lips.

Jean raises his pierced brow, “Be careful what you ask for.” And before Eren can retort he’s sinking in and- and fuck the world if it isn’t the best thing because Eren’s hot and tight and those legs are wrapped around him, pulling him closer-

Eren’s mouth is slack and open and his vision is all fucked up because Jean’s inside of him and feels a bit obtrusive and fulfilling all at once. He wants more and less at the same time but he goes with more. Manages to wrap his legs around a strong waist and pull Jean closer. 

When Jean’s hunched, hands braced on either side of Eren’s head, Eren mewls because the head of that cock is brushing up against his spot and he wants it driven in. “You- you can-”

“Yeah,” Jean acknowledges Eren’s gibberish before he starts moving –in deep and out halfway. 

It’s a slow thrusting of his hips that hits the right spot and teases at the same time while he laps at Eren’s collar and works on marking lovely tanned flesh. Eren can’t tell but Jean is holding back and going with the torture too because, what he really wants, is to tear Eren apart and pound into him like an amateur. That’s how crazy Eren makes him. But he doesn’t want to hurt him or scare him away the first time they’re at this and-

“Fucking- fucking go,” Because Eren can’t take Jean’s slow pace. He can’t take sitting at the edge of orgasm –an orgasm that’s happening with penetration alone and it feels so painfully pleasurable that it’s driving him fucking bonkers.

Jean smirks and takes it as his cue to lose himself. It’s what Eren asks for after all. So he picks up the pace and starts moving with quick and calculated thrusts, each time he’s hitting that spot and he has Eren clawing at his back and holding him close and biting into his shoulder. And- Fuck it, he’s in heaven and those sounds and Eren’s mouth (because Jean didn’t know that he likes being gnawed on until it’s happening) and that tight, tight heat…

Eren’s so, so close. Can feel it in his gut and with every brush of the head of his cock against Jean’s fucking torso and he taste blood in his mouth from Jeans shoulder but he’ll apologize when he’s not being plundered at a mind halting rate. He’s on fire and full and Jean’s name keeps tugging on his tongue but his mouth is preoccupied and he’s seeing stars. Stars that fade white and blot his vision when his head falls back because he’s cumming –hard. And the bliss that shoots through his veins like a narcotic makes him boneless and breathless and- yeah. He’s feeling it.

Feeling Jean.

And Jean’s watching Eren fall apart and he’s amazed and intrigued and thinks Eren’s so goddamned sexy that it kills. He’s close and sits up for better leverage and he’s holding those hips that haven’t let up and he’s being sucked in like Eren’s ass is begging and- Jean cums. He’s cumming and thrusting frantically like a first timer and Eren’s murmuring his name like he’s a godsend and if Jean weren’t over the edge already he would be. He rides out his orgasm with an ugly grunt and groan and a “Fuck” tossed in there somewhere.

Jean ends up collapsing on top of Eren panting just the same as the guy beneath him. His ear is pressed to Eren’s chest and he can hear Eren’s heart thumping wildly (the same as his). It makes him smile. His smile gets all goofy when Eren’s fingers tangle up in his hair and move along his scalp because it’s comforting and unexpected.

“Fuck, man…” 

Eren snorts and tilts Jean’s head so that they’re staring at one another. “You’re kinda good at this.”

“Kinda? Maybe you weren’t paying attention but, I just rocked your world.” Or rather, Jean’s sure that Eren just gave him the best orgasm that anyone has ever given him and it all felt like it was over too quick.

Eren laughs a bit and wraps his legs around Jean’s waist, drawing him impossibly closer, “Maybe. Maybe you should show me again, just so we can be absolutely sure that you know what you’re doing with your cock.” His fingers trail down to Jean’s nape, “That it wasn’t a fluke.”

And Jean feels himself getting hard all over again and he can feel Eren stiffening against his stomach and, “Fuck… fuck… yeah. Yeah… just to be sure.”

If the first time is mind blowing, the second time is body aching, and every time thereafter is just worldwide destruction.

It’s that good.

* * *

**TBC…**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this is only the beginning because, I'm pretty sure I've been on a role writing this one and I have a few ideas for other SnK ficlets that I might end up posting. They probably won't be in this style but, meh. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed. 
> 
> Food for thought: This story spends a lot of time in the character's headspaces but, does that add or take away from their character? Just curious inquiry.
> 
> If you dig it, drop me a line or kudos.


	4. Day 40: Midterms And Midway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which: Armin can't figure out what the hell is going on between Eren and Jean but Mikasa assures him that they would know if it were _something_. Or, you know, the one where Jean is insecure and Eren doesn't know what's up and Mikasa fixes it. That one.

Armin wakes up first every morning. 

Unlike Eren who only has classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Armin has two classes everyday of the business week. His days start at 8 AM. 

Despite that, he always wakes up at 7 in the morning and enjoys the feeling of Eren wrapped around him because it’s comforting and protective and he likes being the little spoon. He also likes when Eren kisses the back of his neck and mutters good morning with his gruff sleepy voice. On Fridays, when Armin has the most time, he’ll allow a little fooling around. Some mornings, Mikasa’s even there to join.

And none of that is unusual.

But, what is peculiar is the fact that he, Eren, and Mikasa still do all of those things and Armin is pretty sure that Eren is, at the very least, dating Jean. And Eren’s not the sort to cheat (he’s far too honest for his own good and loyal to a fault). Not that Armin considers having sex with other people while dating the equivalent of cheating but it’s not Eren’s thing. 

Which reminds him, Eren’s also not one for games (he doesn’t get them whether he’s part of one or not).

So Armin finds himself a bit confused as to why the three of them continue with their normal routine. Unless, of course, Jean and Eren aren’t dating. 

Which would be equally weird.

They do all of the dating things that couples do –they argue and have sex and spend copious amounts of time together (with or without friends) and- yes. Armin’s sure that they’re a “thing” with regard to Eren’s standards. Specifically Eren’s standards because he doesn’t have sex with strangers or people that he doesn’t trust –his only real rule with regards to relationships.

So it’s puzzling and, for the first time in a very long time, Armin doesn’t know what’s going on in Eren’s mind. 

“What’s so fascinating about your bed sheets?” 

Armin’s startled by Mikasa’s light taunt but he manages to pull off being composed when he turns around. She’s leaning against his door frame and smiling at him and that lovely smile momentarily soothes his mind. “It’s not the bed sheets it’s… Don’t you think it’s strange that Eren’s dating and we’re all still-”

“Fucking? No.” Mikasa steps into the room and shuts the door behind her. She takes a seat on Eren’s unused bed, head tilted in though. “Eren and Jean aren’t dating, they’re just friends.”

“How do you know?”

At that, she smiles, “Because Eren hasn’t told us that they are and we both know Eren.” Better than anyone else ever will.

And that’s true. Eren would have told them if he were dating Jean because they don’t keep secrets of any sort from each other. But then, that means… that means that Eren is doing the thing- was being dense and unobservant, which makes Jean equally dense for not establishing something where Eren failed to. If Jean hasn’t told Eren that he wants to be exclusive then it won’t happen because Eren doesn’t trusts himself to make those sorts of decisions… He doesn’t trust himself because he knows that he can make and retain friends –easy. Putting a name to something more and working with that –Eren isn’t so sure and he’s never had much luck there so he leaves it up to the other person to establish that sort of commitment.

How catastrophic. 

“Sad, isn’t it? They’re both so dumb…” But in the most loveable way. At least, Eren is because Mikasa still doesn’t know Jean’s angle but she’s hell bent on finding out before things move on to the next level and, at the rate those two are going, she still has some time.

Armin pities all of the people who get swept along by Eren because of… because of exactly what’s happening to Jean who’s either making assumptions about what they have or he’s following Eren’s lead or he’s in limbo.

And Eren can be a friend for a lifetime but a mate… Armin wishes Jean all of the luck in the world if he’s as inept as Eren when it comes to relationships and boundaries and the like.

“Should we say something?”

“At some point… It won’t hurt not to do it at this moment.” Most likely…

* * *

* * *

It’s common knowledge amongst their group that Armin and Eren don’t lock their door. They leave it open because Mikasa completes them and just the thought of her not being able to get to them at any time is- well… it’s not a thought at all because she’ll always be able to get to them. 

So, their room- Eren and Armin’s- is never locked.

Not that they have to worry about theft or anything considering how well known and well liked the three of them are within their little dorm community (and a growing outside fan base).

Jean would be more surprised if they weren’t. 

Like, Mikasa is a knockout, hands-down. Dark hair, dark eyes, big breast, brains, and mystique –everything a guy could ask for in a girl. 

Armin is the definition of adorable with his dimples and his smile and his approachableness –he makes it easy to get close. 

And then there’s Eren –beautiful, outspoken, outgoing, and energetic Eren. 

Everyone immediately takes a liking to him but he’s a packaged deal and Armin and Mikasa are equally incredible so the trio becomes this famous little thing because they’re always seen together and seen sleeping in each other’s rooms or getting touchy with each other or sharing the family bathroom and then the rumors start… People are intrigued by seeing a real life threesome (or so they assume) and the hype surrounding ErenArminMikasa (because they just become one long string of a name) spreads just a bit (to the point where people that don’t belong to the FloMo society are dishing out a “hi” to them because of those fucking rumors). 

With all of that going down, Jean’s not surprised by all of the attention that Eren gets. He’s attractive, he’s an intellectual, he’s got crazy charisma, and he’ll talk to anyone that sits down to talk to him.

What does put him a bit on edge is the way he’s starting to feel when it comes to Eren and Eren’s other relationships.

See, Jean’s never been a guy that deals with complex emotion because he’s emotionally daft and stunted and he owns that. It always takes him a moment to really dig into the meat of other people’s feelings and he generally prefers to stay clear of other people with their feelings because he can’t handle his own so why would he want to attempt tackling someone else’s? 

Yeah, Jean’s not a sentiment guy but, lately, he’s been catching all types of emotions and feelings and it all leads back to Eren. 

There’s this nagging emotion that he gets in the pit of his stomach from time to time. It usually springs up when Reiner comes around and he’s a guy that doesn’t recognize or acknowledge personal space. And, for some reason, he really digs being in Eren’s personal space. And Eren doesn’t have a problem with that. But then, that feeling (the one that tugs at his gut and makes him gnaw on the inside of his cheek), really starts to fuck him over when he catches glimpses of Armin and Mikasa with Eren. Those three… when they’re all together and really wrapped up in a conversation or with each other, they give off an unapproachable vibe that people can only envy.

Envy… Okay, so Marco says that he’s jealous and Marco thinks it’s abso-fucking-lutely hilarious because he would’ve never guessed that Jean is the type. And Jean protests because he swears he isn’t but Marco might be on to something –just a little bit.

But that doesn’t explain the other things and there are other _things_ (i.e. emotions).

For instance, he knew from the get go that he dug Eren (he still digs Eren) but that feeling… If Jean has to describe it ( _it_ being the feeling of digging Eren), it’s reminiscent to freefalling 18,000 feet towards the ground and that last second before pulling the cord for the parachute –electrifying, adrenaline snatching, breathtaking, and horrifying all at once but so addictive. And that’s how Jean feels when it comes to Eren –like he can’t get enough and everyday is something new.

Marco calls it love. 

Jean calls that bullshit.

He’s never been in love and he knows he’s too young for shit like that and- yeah. He doesn’t believe in that whole “falling in love” spiel anyway because the concept of “love” is capitalistic propaganda that people bank on for profit’s sake. It’s not real and, if it were, it would have nothing to do with the heart. Just a bunch of chemicals and other lackluster bullshit that involves neurons firing across synapses so- no. Love is a crock of shit and no one can convince him otherwise. 

What he does know is that he’s never felt so drawn to another person and, what he does know, is that it scares the shit out of him because he doesn’t know what to do with emotions like those. 

Like: possessiveness and addiction and excruciating want.

Even worse than all of those mucked up sentiments that he can’t deal with, Jean doesn’t know what the fuck to do about his status with Eren.

See, they’re a weird type of friends. “Friends” because that’s all they’ve established that they are and Jean would be fine with that but. But.

 _But,_ he and Eren hangout and talk every day.

 _But,_ they fuck regularly now and cuddle and spoon and wake up together some mornings and it’s all normal.

 _But,_ they go on (what people classify as) dates and they know each other’s friends and they make plans.

 _But_ (and this is the big one for Jean), they kiss and not the typical “we’re making out” type of kiss. A variety. There’s the good morning, noon, and night kiss. The “okay, just one more” kiss when one of them is trying to leave but can’t get enough of the other. There’s the “you’re so silly” intimate kiss to the brow or shoulder or nape. 

And then there’s that other one –the one that really throws Jean for a loop. 

The one that he initiates all of the time and Eren lets him and he gets away with it and the world around them doesn’t burst into flames or become awkward. The “I really just felt like kissing you” kiss that isn’t a make-out or doesn’t lead to anything nor does it have explanation. 

It’s just, sometimes, when they’re doing homework and Eren is all focused on a formula or equation and his brow is knitted, Jean’ll say, “Hey…”

And Eren will glance up a little dazed at first and then he’ll smile and ask, “What’s up?”

Which is when Jean tilts his chin and kisses those amazingly soft lips and then says nothing and Eren will laugh and mutter okay before going back to work- how the fuck is that normal?

Better question: what the fuck compels him to do that?

What the ever-loving fuck?

Jean doesn’t know and he’s not understanding but he just knows that, if all of his friendships turned out like the one that he has with Eren, he’d go fucking nuts. 

That, right there, is the thing. Jean’s pretty sure that what they have going can’t be called friendship. 

They’re definitely friends, yes, but there’s more to it than that. They’re not friends with benefits because that sounds low-class and Jean has had friends with benefits and none of those short-lived relationships were anything like what he has with Eren. There’s a big difference, actually. Like… there’s substance to what they’ve got going. 

And maybe that’s what scares Jean about Eren –the fact that there _is_ a lot there and they’re “just friends”. Because, if they’re “just friends”, how many other people does Eren have a similar relationship with and why does it bother Jean to a point where he cares (aside from the fact that he’s always said he wouldn’t and his beliefs are being compromised)?

See… this was the hassle and trouble that Jean didn’t want out of his college experience.

* * *

* * *

“What’s wrong?” Armin is staring at Eren who’s lying in bed with his glasses slipping down his nose as he reads some book, which would all be normal because midterms start next week but Eren doesn’t study.

Correction: Eren never studies alone.

Eren picks up on school things quickly and easily and once he knows a subject, he knows a subject. He’s rarely ever had to study. 

But, that’s not the most unusual thing. 

Armin’s noticed that Jean and Eren haven’t been all buddy-buddy over the last week or so and he didn’t think much of it and he wouldn’t have but he knows Eren and Eren’s moods. On the outside, Eren seems normal to everyone –all smiles and jokes and quick temper and wit. But people don’t and won’t notice how he is slowly retracting to his comfort space until he’s already indrawn and sulky and- 

And Armin notices.

He can recognize when Eren’s depressed or angry or unsure or confused or enamored or- yeah. Armin can always tell.

So Eren’s in a funk and it has something to do with Jean and he wants to know. Needs to know to keep Eren on track.

Eren sits his textbook down and slides over for Armin to fill up the space, which he does. “It’s nothing really, yeah.” 

“Nothing like what?” Because nothing means that it’s absolutely something.

Eren frowns. “Okay, so… what would you make of shit if I just started blowing you off or I always had plans or when you text me, I texted back short, clipped responses?”

Oh man… “I’d think you… were mad at me.”

“Sure. And if you asked me if I were and I said ‘no’ but kept on pulling shit like that, what would you think?” By this point, Eren’s brow is creased and his lips are pursed and he’s definitely getting pissed.

“I’d be confused and I’d still think that you’re mad at me or that I’d done something.” However, Armin knows that this isn’t a hypothetical.

This is about Jean and what’s going on between those two at the moment. Which means it’s really about Jean’s crush on Eren and the fact that he can’t deal (which Armin knows because he and Marco keep in touch and Marco gave him a heads up). So, really, this is about Jean and Eren being dumbasses and, while Armin can handle Eren, he thinks Jean deserves a visit from Mikasa because Eren is kind of sensitive when it comes to these things and he doesn’t understand relationship games of mind-fuck or indecisiveness. 

With that in mind, he shoots Mikasa a quick text that she probably won’t see until tomorrow but it’s fine. What’s done is done so he drops his phone on Eren’s nightstand before sliding into bed and wrapping an arm around Eren’s waist. “So… what is it then?” He feigns oblivion for Eren’s sake.

Eren waits until Armin gets comfortable before he pulls him closer and sighs. “It’s Jean. The fucker is acting all weird and I can’t think of anything that I’ve done that’s different or that might’ve set him off but it’s pissing me off and he won’t tell me anything so we haven’t really been talking the last week or so… I dunno.”

“Maybe it’s just midterm stress, you know?”

Eren nods and tucks his head against Armin’s, “Maybe but he’s not an idiot.”

“Everyone handles midterms differently.” 

“True.” Eren doesn’t personally get stressed over tests but, maybe… “Yeah, that could be it. Whatever. I’m tired. You wanna take a nap with me?”

Armin laughs before he snags Eren’s glasses and catches Eren’s lips in a quick kiss. “Sure.”

* * *

* * *

Jean is scared shitless when his room door is flung open.

First of all, he’s currently entertaining a guest. As in, there’s a pretty little petite, doe-eyed, brunette in his lap with her shirt off and his hands are cupping her breast and they’re in his computer chair but it’s working because she isn’t wearing panties beneath her skirt so-

Doesn’t matter! 

None of that shit matters because Mikasa’s standing in the doorway glaring at him and her jaw is clenched when she bites out, “Leave.”

The chick only takes a minute to snag her shirt and tug it over her head on her way out the door and Jean gets even less time to fix himself up before Mikasa’s backing him into the wall and gripping at the collar of his button-up. All Jean manages to say is, “What the fuck?” 

And then she’s slamming him up against the wall with this crazy strength and a narrowed gaze that hooks into his soul. “I don’t give a fuck about who you or Eren decide to fuck around with because you and Eren aren’t a couple, however, I do care about his feelings.” She let him go in favor of poking him in the chest. “And if you fuck with his feelings, just remember that you’re fucking with me.”

Jean scowls and stands up straight because he’s got a few inches on her and what fucking right does she have to burst into his room making assumptions and threats- “Again, what the fuck?”

For a split second, he’s one-hundred percent certain that’s she’s gonna knock him out cold but then- “Eren and Armin are all that I have and I’m the one who takes care of them. That being said, I’m only going to warn you once: Fuck Eren over and I will make your life a living hell. If you’re done being his friend, let him know. If you’re not, stop playing childish fucking games because he’s not like everyone else, he can’t decipher those puzzles because he’s not dishonest enough to read into shit like that.”

Well, okay, Jean knows that but he isn’t playing games and he’s not-

“Whatever you decide to do, decide quick. He’ll be fine either way because he has me and Armin and we’ve never _needed_ more than just the three of us.” That said, she walks out of the room with the door slamming shut behind her.

Jean stands there for a long time afterwards and he goes through the motions of emotion.

First: He so hasn’t been playing mind games with Eren because he’s not the game type. He’s just really fucking confused and needs space and is being kind of a dick but he’s not playing games. 

Second: But now he’s pissed because, what the hell? Who does Mikasa think she is? Seriously… she can’t just barge into a person’s room and say all of that shit and kick people out and-

Third: Okay. She’s kind of right. He’s been freaking out over nothing that he turns into something because he has too much time to think and Marco’s little snits about love and what not had keep pissing him off, which he sort of projects onto Eren who is the source of his inner troubles and struggles in the first place.

Not that it’s been easy to be a prick to Eren (although, the guy sure knows how to dish that shit right back). Jean misses him something crazy (which is the problem).

Or- Maybe it’s not a problem. Maybe it’s cool and maybe he just needs to stop thinking about it so much because, when he thinks too much, he fucks shit up or people over.

Eren is the last person that he wants to screw over –Mikasa’s threats aside.

But, honestly, that chick is crazy scary and Eren’s lucky to have her (Jean feels mad respect as opposed to ridiculously offended because that woman has balls bigger than his own). Again, Jean’s jealous (he’s accepted this emotion) but feels he can be because he wants to be that type of person to Eren and not a jackass. It’s just, being a jackass is so easy…

“Fuck…” Whatever the case, he has to make shit right.

Back to normal. At least, Eren’s version of normal with him.

So he brings himself to text Eren something like: _Hey, you busy?_ By the time he looks decent again, his phone buzzes. 

**Eren:** _Yeah. I’m bowling with Reiner and Bert. What’s up?_

There’s that annoying tug at his gut but he quashes it and texts back: _You guys gonna be out long?_

 **Eren:** _I dunno…_

 **Eren:** _Reiner wants to grab dinner and make me watch some show he thinks I’ll like…_

There’s a pause and Jean’s trying to figure out what to say to that because, right now, he wants to see Eren and he wants Reiner to back the fuck off and-

 **Eren:** _You done being a dick and you want me to stop by or something?_

Eren is a saint and Jean would kiss him if he were there. He’s a fucking oblivious telepath and- _Hahaha sure, you could say that, you ass! Come whenever, I’ll be up._

 **Eren:** _LMAO… alright. It’ll be late but… don’t kill too many brain cells studying._

 **Jean:** _Don’t kill too many brain cells hangin’ with Reiner :p_

 **Eren:** _Pftt… don’t be a child lol… Later!_

Jean feels… at ease with the way that went. 

But he’s still all jealous and jilted (his own fault). More so when 2AM roles around and Eren texts him that they’ll just grab a late lunch or do whatever later that day because he’s still busy. And Jean imagines Eren –short and slim Eren- tucked against Reiner’s side watching whatever the fuck they’re watching and the two are cuddling and talking because, when Eren watches shit with him, that’s how they are. So Jean’s ridiculously envious and feeling possessive but he shrugs it off and decides on sleep.

At least he has one emotion figured out but he doesn’t like it and he’s still not all gung-ho about this whole digging someone so deeply that he’s close to gold but he’ll go with it for the time being because- well- it’s Eren and a greater force working against him. He can’t compete or fight against either of those things.

* * *

* * *

Eren’s ridiculously tired because he stays up watching _**Heroes**_ with Reiner and Bert and, later, Annie and they watch almost the entire first season but can’t stop there but they’re all tired and- yup. Eren gets too tired to walk back to his room, which is fine because Reiner lets him sleep with him on his bed and it’s a tight fit but it’s warm and Eren passes out as soon as he’s tucked against the wall with an arm around him. 

So he wakes up at 2 in the afternoon and the room is empty but there’s a note on the pillow: _We left you sleep, class and all for us M through F kids. We can finish tonight, text me later. –Rein_

Hell yes Eren wants to finish. Reiner was right, he fucking loves the show. He’s gonna make Armin and Mikasa watch it when they get a break. And he’ll probably try to get Jean into- JEAN!

Eren digs around in his pocket for his cell and it’s dead so he gets up, grabs his shoes, and races back to his room and sticks it on the charger. He waits impatiently for the phone to turn on and when it does, he’s bombarded by text alerts and emails and a few missed calls but- yeah. Jean texted him that morning.

 **Jean:** _Crazy night, I’m sure lol. Lunch? That was an hour ago…_

**Eren:** _More chill than crazy but I’ll tell you about it later. You still have time for lunch?_

It takes less than a minute for Jean to text back, _for sure! I’ll come snag you from your room. You’re there, right?_

 **Eren:** _Yeah._

Eren sees that and he’s giddy. He’s giddy because it’s been a while (okay, just a week that felt like forever) since he and Jean have done anything –talking, eating, hanging out, touching… Eren misses it. Misses him in his own way. 

There aren’t a lot of people that he feels a solid connection with. Yes, he meets a lot of people and enjoys spending time with people but few of them really get him. Few of them turn out to be friends like Armin and/or Mikasa. Jean’s kind of like them. Like, he just gets Eren and they can argue and they can have a fucking blast and they can be intimate and they just can. But it’s not exactly the same as the relationship that he has with Armin and Mikasa because it’s kind of intense and it’s happening so fast (makes him feel like he’s falling and it’s exciting and excruciating waiting to hit the ground).

And, as an added bonus, Jean is unreasonably sexy. He just oozes sex like he was made for it and Eren’s embarrassed with how much he thinks about Jean and having sex with Jean and things he wants Jean to do to him or that he wants to do with Jean (or how much he enjoys Jean’s mouth and those hands –umfff). He digs Jean’s body too –digs tracing the tattoos with his fingers or tugging at piercing with his teeth.

Eren’s a man so he likes sex and Armin and Mikasa aren’t vanilla but they’re not Jean. In fact, he’s never had a “Jean” when it comes to fucking so he kind of wants to really keep that going.

The sex and the company. 

So, yeah… Jean seems like a friend that Eren’ll have for a long time because they work and he likes him and Jean seems to like him back, which makes things fine and dandy! 

Eren’s got his shirt half on when his door opens and he turns and flashes Jean a quick smile before he fully pulls his shirt on. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Golden brown eyes are watching Eren carefully and Jean’s lips are quirked just a bit and- 

“You’re staring,” Eren comments, tone amused and light as he grabs his wallet and unplugs his phone.

Jean shrugs and walks over to where Eren’s standing. They’re only a few inches apart but they’re not touching and Jean’s just staring, making Eren squirm-

“What’s up?” Because he’s starting to feel weird just being looked at and not touched.

“I dunno… I feel like I’m seeing you for the first time in a while.”

Eren laughs a bit because- really? He’d just thought the same thing not too long ago but, instead of saying that he says, “You sound like a sap, Jean.” He wraps his arms around Jean’s torso and leans forward, lips pressing to Jean’s jaw, “But, yeah… missed you too.”

Before he gets the chance to escape, he’s on the bed with Jean’s mouth attached to his and then his throat and back to his mouth. That wicked tongue is pushing past his lips and Eren doesn’t mind because Jean taste like coffee and mint and heaven. Jean taste like desire and Eren’s prepared to be devoured –except, his stomach growls and Jean stops and stares and they both laugh.

“Lunch, yeah?”

Jean groans, “You could’ve been my lunch.”

Eren makes a face, “That’s too corny, even for you.” He pushes at Jean’s chest and waits for Jean to stand before Jean helps him up.

“Whatever. Where d’ya wanna go?”

“Somewhere with meat.” Eren could eat an entire cow and he wouldn’t regret a thing.

“Sundance it is.” 

They slip into easy conversation about Jean studying for midterms and Eren slacking (i.e. spending 10 hours getting hooked on a series and fooling around that week as opposed to studying). They talk shit and argue about some shitty band playing on the radio in Jeans Escalade and call a cease fire while they eat and they flirt and play footsie and goof off and-

And everything’s back to normal.

They’re good again and Eren likes that because he really does enjoy Jean.

* * *

**TBC…**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No real lovin' this time around but there's a lot to come in the following chapters so... yep! Thanks for reading and what not!


	5. Day 69: Holiday Season (P1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which: The gang celebrates Halloween and dress up and get undressed and get drunk/high/wasted. Or, the one where everyone's getting laid -especially Jean and Eren.

First up is Halloween –a Halloween that falls on a Saturday no less. 

Everyone’s pumped because- duh- HALLOWEEN! Costumes and beer and parties and beer and bongs and sluts and candy and excuses to wear nothing and midterms are over and- fuck yeah, the parties! People are planning to get shitfaced and hung-over. 

It’s funny how the group decides what to do for Halloween. Funny because Ymir makes a suggestion that Eren latches onto and people can rarely deny Eren. But the plan isn’t bad, it just sucks because it comes straight outta the devil’s mouth and nothing good ever comes from the devil. 

But the plan is solid. 

A bunch of frats and sororities have this whole collaborative thing going instead of competing for best rager because- why compete when they can make party history by throwing down as one big thing in an old abandoned factory space? And there’s so much hype surrounding the party and all of ‘em get invited at least a dozen times so- 

The Plan: So Ymir. Ymir thinks that they should start the holiday by spending Friday night in San Fran bullshitting at clubs and what not and then the Warehouse Party Saturday night –which makes sense. 

Sounds all types of legit. 

But gets better when Eren shows up to lunch the Wednesday before shit’s supposed to get real and dishes out fake ID’s to all of ‘em (he even has one for Marco) with a smug grin and a “Happy Halloween, bitches”. And those things –they’re not just any old ID’s, they’re authentic looking with their pictures and everything and they’re a range of ages –from 21 to 24. So, of course, everyone’s really pumped because- BARS! And Eren’s a godsend who won’t reveal his secrets but no one gives a fuck because, for the next four years, they’re legal! 

Now the plan is: bar hopping and clubbing in San Fran where they’ll meet Marco and grab a hotel room or three. Then the Warehouse Party on Saturday and the bar on Sunday just because. 

Friday roles around but costumes are meant to be a surprise when people meet up at Jean’s Escalade and Ymir’s Durango. Well, a surprise to most everyone. 

See- Armin, Mikasa, and Eren always have a theme and, this year, they’re going as slutty zombie private school girls (school girls because easy access and zombies because double costume incase people think they’re just school girls). Mikasa makes sure they all look presentable –matching royal blue/white/gold plaid skirts, white button-ups tied in a knot above the naval, knee high white/blue argyle socks, with bloody teeth marks and splatter to match. 

Eren sees Armin and Mikasa and he wants to pin either of them to the bed and utilize that easy access because (even all bloody) they’re breathtaking. Armin looks like an honest-to-god girl –fake breast and all. But it looks good on him and he’s blushing and he’s smiling with those dimples… And then Mikasa- she’s a goddess and looks like something straight out of a glamour magazine. 

(What Eren fails to realize is that they’re thinking the same thoughts about him but they’ll let him know later). 

“We’re hot shit,” Eren comments as they make their way out the door. 

He can’t help slapping Mikasa’s ass and she laughs a bit before passing on the gesture to Armin and they’re fondling and touching all the way to the cars only to be interrupted by a slew of catcalls and whistles. Armin’s blushing again and Eren’s grinning from ear to ear as Mikasa smiles softly beside him. 

Ymir’s the first one to step forward, circling the trio like the predator she’s dressed as (Lucifer –white suit, black wings, and black halo). “I would fuck all of you… watch your asses tonight, guys and doll.” 

Krista is standing besides her smiling and she’s dressed as a skimpy angel (white bra, short-shorts, and white wings). 

“The fuck? You’re zombie school girls?” Reiner’s all decked out in Green Lantern garb that suits him and fits him like a glove and those muscles… he’s unsurprisingly handsome. “Awesome!” 

Bert is Superman and Annie’s Black Canary. 

And Eren wants to listen to everyone commenting on what they’ve got going but he spots Jean walking across the parking lot and he has to think about the nastiest shit that comes to mind or else he’ll be sporting a hard on and he’s wearing panties and- And Jean is Tarzan. A tattooed, pierced up, hair slicked, hard bodied, loinclothed, Tarzan. Eren want him but- 

“You guys ready?” Jean winks in Eren’s direction and makes a mental note to take full advantage of that costume. 

Connie and Sasha are a retro Bonnie and Clyde and they’re following behind Jean. They don’t recognize Eren and Armin at first but, when they do, the cellphones come out and people are taking pictures and everyone’s pretty excited and they didn’t even pre-game before heading out. 

The night is promised to be a good one 

* * *

* * *

5 shots, 2 Long-Islands, 3 Blue Motherfuckers, and one beer. 

That’s where Eren’s at by the time they reach club number two. And it’s fine because he has a light buzz going and he’s not a lightweight by any means (courtesy of the Turkish and German blood from his mother and father respectively). But he gets a bit needy and loves contact when he’s intoxicated so being in the middle of the dance floor with bodies pressed against him is, like, the best fucking thing in the world. 

He has Reiner behind him and Reiner’s hands are roaming and his fingers are burning a trail down his bare sides and Krista’s in front of him and she’s smiling all prettily with her arms around his neck and Ymir behind her, lips on Krista’s neck. 

It’s hot. Literally. Eren feels like liquid fire is coursing through his veins and his skin is flush and he’s sweating… Okay- it’s hot figuratively as well because Reiner is letting him grind against him and Eren can feel him. He’s hard and that bodysuit doesn’t hide shit. But then, there’s Krista who’s forehead is pressed to his and she’s moaning because Ymir- Fucking Ymir has her hand down Krista’s shorts and- 

“Fuck,” He grumbles when Reiner’s hands grip at his hips and pulls him close. 

Reiner chuckles and Eren likes the sound –it shoots straight to his cock. 

Which means he needs to escape because Reiner against his ass feels good but Eren would prefer Jean who knows his body and who he trusts to have a quick rut in the bathroom stall. Jean, who’s somewhere in the throng dancing with Armin and Sasha and it’s probably the sexist thing (up there with Mikasa and Annie pushed up against the wall and going at each other’s mouths like they’re starving). 

When the song starts to shift to the next, he kisses Krista’s cheek and pats Reiner’s and mouths that he’ll be back and before Reiner can protest, a girl weaves into the space Eren’s abandoning and he feels alright about leaving. 

The first place he stops at is the bar and a witch buys him two shots because she wants a partner and Eren downs them with her before climbing the stairs and looking down at the dance-floor. It takes a moment because it’s dark and there are lights flashing but he finds Jean with the florescent paint splatters in his hair from the first club and Armin’s there and they’re dancing –definitely as sexy as he thought it would be with Armin sandwiched between Jean and- Mikasa! 

Eren’s all teeth when he grins and races down the steps and makes his way through quivering bodies. He finds Mikasa first, his arms wrapping around her and she turns a bit and smiles at him and captures his lips and tugs and tastes and teases and he groans when she fully turns because she’s like him –a lush that gets handsy and horny with a bit of alcohol in the veins. When she pulls away, she grabs for Armin but pushes him towards Jean and he’s in Jean’s arms before he knows it. 

Jean’s eyes are amber pools- so blown and focused on Eren. His lips are quirked as he pulls Eren close, lips working against Eren’s ear when he says, “I want you.” 

Eren’s thinking the exact same thing and it makes him laugh as he pulls Jean out of the crowd and towards the bathroom upstairs because that’s a one person bathroom with a lock. It’s perfect. When they get there, it’s empty so Eren pulls Jean inside and Jean shuts the door and locks it and has Eren pressed into the sink before he can say a word. 

“Jean…” The name falls from Eren’s lips as he grips the sink. 

Jean’s lips are on his nape, his throat, his jaw and those strong hands are on his hips, holding him there while Jean is pressed to his back- “Wanted to do this all night,” he manages between nipping tan flesh and pushing a hand up Eren’s skirt. He chuckles when his fingers ghost along satin, “Panties, eh?” 

“Mhm-” Which trails off into a groan because Jean is toying with him through his panties and the friction- “Easy access,” He smirks and catches his reflection in the mirror and thinks that he looks awful with the make-up smudged and sweating off but he can’t worry about that right now- “Condoms and lube in my boot-” He whines when Jean grips him through his panties and he’s legs are starting to buckle… 

Jean licks at his ear, “Slutty school girl looks good on you.” Amber eyes connect with aqua through their reflections and Eren’s pulse picks up because it’s _that look_ and Jean’s just touching but he wants more, wants Jean inside of him but he’s- “But you always look so fucking good, Eren.” 

Eren can’t deal when Jean says his name like it burns to sit on the tongue. And then Jean’s sliding his skirt up and sucking at his nape and rutting against his ass while his legs are quivering because standing is becoming unbearable. When Jean turns him around and hikes him onto the sink, Eren squeaks because it’s unexpected but the sound is swallowed by greedy lips that push against his and Jean taste like the night –like cigarettes, liquor, heat, and sweat. Like _want._

Jean’s sucking on his tongue and holding onto the thighs wrapped around his waist and Eren’s back is digging into the faucet but he doesn’t give a fuck. He’s got Jean between his thighs- 

“GET THE FUCK OUTTA THE BATHROOM!” 

Jean leans back, glances at the door, and smirks, “GO TO THE OTHER ONE!” He yells back and then it’s back to Eren. Back to Eren’s mouth and sliding his hand down smooth calves to look for the condom and the lube in those boots and- aha! He finds them! He leaves Eren panting on the sink to lean against the wall and shift his loincloth before rolling the condom on and watching Eren watch him slick himself up. Jean’s fully prepared to prep Eren too so they can really get things started but then- 

“I’m good- I mean… I kinda- yeah.” Eren’s cheeks are red and he’s shifting and tugging at those frilly blue panties- 

Jean almost nuts right there because- yeah, he catches Eren’s drift. Eren prepped himself. Was probably hunched over and fingering his ass and making those noises and Jean can’t. He can’t wait and he can’t hold back because Eren will be the absolute death of him. At least he’d die happy. 

Eren’s incredible and the only thing that Jean can think to say to that is, “Heh, easy access indeed.” And then he’s on Eren. He’s pushing those trembling legs apart and canting his hips and slowly pressing in because- fucking Eren is all heat and all tight muscle pulling him in. 

Eren can’t think straight because he’s finally being filled and it’s only slightly uncomfortable until Jean sinks in all the way and is just standing there, pressed against his prostate oh-so teasingly, “Oh shit…” He groans and leans forward, arms wrapping around Jean’s neck as he shifts a bit and- “Ah!” He gasps, mouth falling open because Jean’s moving and they’re at the perfect angle. 

The perfect angle for Jean to fuck into him. The perfect angle for Jean to keep hitting his sweet spot. It’s so, so good that Eren doesn’t give two shits about the porcelain abusing his back with every sharp and accurate thrust. He just holds tight and bites down on Jean’s collar and moans and works on marking Jean as Jean whispers dirty nothings into his ear and fucks him like a pro. 

Eren’s loving it. Loves it more when he gets a hand between them and starts jerking himself because he’s so close now. 

“Fuck, Eren… so tight. Fuck-” Jean’s mumbling brokenly as he hoist those hips higher and he feels it. His gut is warm and pinched and he’s getting there. 

What drives him over the edge is Eren’s orgasm because, see, he gets to watch those bright blue-green eyes widen and blowout and Eren’s mouth is open and his lips are bruised and wet and his expression is pure platinum. All of that aside, Eren’s ass is twitching and gripping him like it wants to keep his dick so the suction is perfect and heavenly- Jean cums. He cums and his hips are moving on overdrive as he rides it out and watches Eren do the same and when he’s spent, he presses his head to Eren’s shoulder, mouthing at that bruised neck. 

“Did we really just fuck in the bathroom of a club like brats?” 

Eren laughs and runs his fingers through Jean’s hair, “We are brats.” 

True. But it’s been awhile since Jean’s had sex in public and it’s kind of thrilling. Makes him want to try something a bit more dangerous in the future. He files that thought away for later and asks instead, “Did you have this all planned?” 

“I knew you’d end up fucking me, I just didn’t know where. But don’t think this is it, I mean, the night’s not over,” Eren’s hands grasp both sides of Jean’s face and he tilts Jean’s head so that they’re eyeing each other. “Besides, I don’t plan on wearing those panties for the rest of the night.” 

And Jean’s stiff like he was never flaccid to begin with and he’s still tucked inside of Eren and- dear god. 

Eren groans because Jean’s getting hard and he hasn’t pulled out and he never knew that something like that would be unreasonably sexy- “Gotta make this one quick.” 

“No promises,” Are the words pressed against Eren’s lips. 

Eren has no complaints. 

* * *

* * *

Actual Halloween cHanjis everyone’s costumes. 

The Trio: Slutty nurses equipped with the white knee-highs, little hat, short white/red dress, and red high heels leaves everyone’s mouths equally agape but it’s fine. They look damn good. 

Eren hates walking in the heels and hates how they make his feet hurt and he’s a bit jealous that Armin handles those shitty shoes like a pro. Because of all that, Mikasa carries him on her back through the halls –to the car- and he’s not ashamed. 

Annie and her Bitches: From DC to Marvel, Reiner is the Hulk, Annie takes on Black Widow, and Bert is Tony Stark with just the chest piece. Eren loves it! He would’ve never guessed that those guys were comic geeks but it’s awesome. 

The Pimp and Hoes: No one knows how it gets planned but, someway and somehow, Ymir ends up dressed as a swanky pimp (purple suit, hat, cane, and all). She’s got Sasha and Krista and Connie as her bottom bitches and it’s so bizarre and the best thing because those three have on short and loud colored dresses with furs hanging off their shoulders. They’ve got exaggerated make-up that’s somehow still flattering and hilarious and- 

And Eren ends up doubling over in laughter because Connie looks ridiculous but the guy doesn’t care –says that’s what Halloween is about. 

Connie says, “Not all of us guys can be gorgeous women like you and Armin!” 

Eren thinks he should feel offended but he just shrugs and keeps laughing. 

Jean and Marco: Take it (kind of) old school with Frankenstein’s Monster and The Mummy. 

Marco’s all painted and in tattered rags that show he’s actual got a nice body beneath his baggy clothes and he looks hella cool standing there. 

Then there’s Jean’s whose got on white boxer-briefs and he’s wrapped in white gauze and medical tape as much as possible because he’s still got bits of inked flesh teasingly showing… 

Eren has to swipe at the drool at the corner of his mouth and he has to look away because flashes of the prior night come to mind when he looks at Jean. Flashes of a club bathroom and bruised hips. Flashes of Jean’s Escalade and the backseat and a parking lot where their friends were kind of watching and laughing but everyone’s too drunk and high to care. Flashes of the hotel elevator that led to the hotel shower. And then breakfast the following morning where the whipped cream and jam and syrup made a mess all over the bed because they so didn’t use those condiments to eat waffles. 

The ruby-red flush that spreads over Eren’s cheeks makes Armin snicker and kiss him because Eren is honest to goodness adorable sometimes and- 

“You three should’ve hopped on our bandwagon,” Ymir interrupts and sizes Mikasa up and slaps her ass appreciatively. 

Mikasa hums and nods, “Next year, maybe.” 

“We ready?” Jean’s close and he coaxes Eren into standing beside him and letting him wrap his arm around him because everyone knows by this point that they’re fucking so whatever. 

Sasha grins and links arms with Connie before giving Jean and Eren a sly look, “Hope you two cleaned up the truck last night.” 

Eren’s face sours and flushes and Jean rubs the back of his neck sheepishly because- okay. Eren was insatiable the night before and Jean ate it up like a fat kid on Thanksgiving and he got so swept up and carried away and it was all good. Really good. And he can’t say that tonight won’t be a repeat of the same. 

“Fuck you guys,” Eren’s words hold no venom and, even if they did, his blush completely destroys his bite. 

Ymir steps forward, arm creeping around Eren’s waist as she skillfully pulls him in front of her, “Is that an offer?” 

Eren plays along, shrugs and grins all cheekily, “Could be. If Krista’s cool with it.” 

And then everyone’s laughing and joking and sorting into the cars so that they can make their way to some abandoned warehouse between Moss Beach and Half Moon Bay. 

* * *

* * *

The outside of the warehouse is spooky as all fuck with the cars littered everywhere and the pulse of music drifting around but, once inside, it’s like a big ass club equipped with strobe lights and fluorescents and a DJ and two bars and a smoker’s lounge and- it’s incredible. It’s also packed. 

Right away, Eren heads to the bar and, right away, these girls offer to buy him a drink and they’re girls so he’s all for it. They get him something called “The Zombie” and it fucks his taste buds when he downs it so he gets another. And then he takes a shot with his whole gang (plus two more because they’re all happy). 

Fast-forward: Half an hour in, Eren knows that he’s drunk. He’s so fucking drunk and he’s making out with Reiner (who’s a good kisser) and it’s all good but then, he’s making out with Ymir and that’s just crazy because they’re groping and biting and Krista is just watching all intrigued like- yup. He’s drunk. 

He apologizes profusely to Krista because he feels like scum but she’s saying it’s okay and it’s “hot” and they should keep going but Eren’s not the sleaze type. When he feels like he’s fucking up, shit’s no longer fun. Plus, he’s drunk and he hates being drunk. He’s not a fun drunk, just depressed and depressing. He’s fun tipsy so he needs a break only an hour in. 

Fast-forward: Mikasa finds Eren outside smoking the “mother’s gift” all by himself and she knows he’s stuck in his head. She brings him food (three burgers and a half slab of ribs from the grill around back) and water and her lap to lay his head in while he eats and drinks and smokes. 

“I’m fucking disgusting,” He mutters after he tells her about the Ymir and Krista thing. 

She doesn’t agree because- “They were into it. You can’t be disgusting for doing something that they wanted to happen. You’re not a home wrecker.” 

Eren wants to disagree but his mind is clearing up and Mikasa’s kind of right because, now that he thinks about it, he’s pretty sure that those two were trying to get him into a threesome. 

“Finish eating and we’ll go back inside. But no more of those Zombies for you.” She smiles and bends awkwardly to kiss his brow. 

Eren tips his head and catches her lips. “Alright.” 

Fast-forward: The craziest thing happens but maybe it’s not so crazy given the energy pulsing through the place. But Eren gets to watch Reiner and Armin hook-up and Armin looks so small in Reiner’s lap but they’re going at it and Armin is a spitfire. Eren knows this personally. But it’s different watching and he feels (oddly) proud. Could be because he’s just tipsy now and he wants to join in but he also wants some attention to himself. 

So he looks for Jean and he finds Jean pressed up against a wall in the corner with a mermaid between his legs and her hand in his briefs. It’s a nice look –Jean biting his bottom lip and watching through a half-lidded gaze as the mermaid jerks him and mouths at his boxer-briefs (right where the head is). 

Wanting attention to himself goes right outta the fucking window. Eren’s wants to give Jean attention. 

Eren’s all confidence when he walks over and catches Jean’s startled gaze (like he’s been caught) but Eren just smiles and shakes his head and moves to the side to work at Jean’s throat. Jean turns his head and Eren accepts his lips, draws out that pierced tongue and sucks it into his own mouth. Jean’s taste simmers beneath the candy he’s got wedged in his cheek and Eren embraces it. He pulls away and dark eyes are staring up at him but she’s smiling so he reaches his hand down to where hers is and he helps her Jerk Jean off. 

And Jean can’t believe any of this is happening because he’s got Eren on his neck and some girl sucking him off through his underwear and two sets of hands and he _is_ drunk. Which means that he can’t control his body and his pulse is thrumming quicker than the dubstep garbage playing and there’s sensation overload and he cums. Right into Eren’s waiting hand. 

Eren tugs his hand out of Jean’s briefs and he’s feeling rather adventurous so he starts licking his fingers and he lets that mermaid lick at his fingers when she stands and draws his hand to her mouth and- fuck. He’s hard and wants Jean right there. It’s too dark for anyone to see them and no one would care, right? Right. 

Fast-forward: Eren’s at a 110 degree angle, hands clutching a beam in the corner, and Jean’s got his hips and he’s being fucked but that mermaid didn’t get scared and run –nope. She’s kneeling between his legs and sucking him off while Jean’s plowing into him and he thinks that her knees should hurt. They should hurt and he should care about that for her sake but he can’t. Can’t really think past all of the pleasure. 

He feels light-headed. His heart is hammering and trying to pop through his ribcage and he’s so close to the edge that it’s killing him. 

Then there’s Jean who’s whispering dirty shit in his ear like, “Fucking slut,” or “Love being in you,” or “So fucking tight,” and Eren is falling apart. His legs feel weak and his skin is blazing. When orgasm does hit him, he passes the fuck out. Literally. 

Fast-forward: Eren wakes up and he’s warm and there’s a body draped over him and he’s kind of cramped. He takes a few seconds to let his vision adjust and, when it does, he finds Mikasa and Armin wrapped around him and they’re in the big ass trunk of Jean’s Escalade. There’s a blanket over them and Eren flushes because it’s coming back to him –how he got there. 

One of his best orgasms made him pass out and he vaguely recalls Jean and the mermaid freaking out. Vaguely remembers attempting to tell them that he’s alright too. He wasn’t that unconscious when Mikasa showed up and slapped Jean and snatched his keys and ended up in the trunk where they could lay down. Eren’s not sure when Armin made it to them. 

He does know that he has to apologize. To everyone. 

Maybe not the mermaid because he doesn’t know who the fuck she is. 

He’s pretty sobered up by this point too, but he can feel a migraine coming on and it won’t be pretty. 

“Eren…” Mikasa slowly sits up and she’s staring at him with these hurt eyes because he’s so fucking reckless –she knows. But she hates it sometimes and it makes her crazy. 

There’s guilt that grips his heart and he pulls her in, holds her against his chest, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I scared you.” Eren scares her a lot with some of his choices, he’s like that, but he doesn’t mean to. 

He doesn’t always think first because he’s all about actions and immediate results but this- this wasn’t much of anything at all. But it could’ve been and it scared her and Armin and Jean and that fucking anonymous Mermaid. 

“I’m okay, I promise. It was just-” 

“Heatstroke and orgasm,” Armin tiredly supplies with a wry smile. Leave it to Eren… the entire ordeal is amusing and totally not, all at once. “Only a feat that you could accomplish.” 

Mikasa pulls away and pushes Eren’s bangs aside, “You’re so…” She trails off and bites her lip, shakes her head before starting again, “You need to be more careful.” 

“I know. I’m sorry.” He pecks her cheek and hugs Armin. “Heatstroke, huh?” 

Armin nods, “Yeah. It’s a sauna in there but they’ve opened the windows and some of the doors.” 

“How long were we out?” 

“Half an hour, give or take.” 

Not that long and the party’s still going from the looks and sounds of it. “Everyone’s still in there?” 

Mikasa nods. “Once Armin said that you’re okay and everyone finished making fun of you and Jean, they went back in but we stayed out here with you.” 

Eren hums in acknowledgement and only feels mildly disappointed that Jean didn’t stick around but, then again, why would he? The way Eren sees it, if he were Jean, he probably would’ve left too. Seriously. Who the fuck causes that much trouble when people are supposed to be having fun? And now Eren feels a little shitty because he has to apologize to Jean and it’s so fucking embarrassing. 

“You ready to go back?” Armin doesn’t care either way but he can read Eren and Eren’s having a little panic attack in his headspace- 

“You guys go ahead. I need a minute.” 

“We could stay,” Because Mikasa doesn’t want to leave him alone, not like this- 

“I need a minute to myself but I’ll get in there.” He needs to sort through his mortification on his own and he has to prepare for the possibility of Jean saying “fuck this” because- yeah. Eren has to prepare. 

Unhappily, Mikasa agrees and Armin follows her lead and they give him farewell kisses and promise to text him in a bit and then they’re climbing out of the trunk. Eren has half a joint on him so he opens the trunk and slides forward so that his feet are dangling and just as he lights up, his space is crowded and he thinks it’s Mikasa coming back to check on him but it’s Jean. 

His heart skips a beat. 

“Dude… I didn’t know I was that good,” And Jean is grinning and standing there and- 

And Eren is deliriously happy to see him. “It was a fluke,” He mutters around the nub pressed between is lips and he beckons for Jean to come closer and Jean moves to stand between his parted legs. Eren inspects the red blotch under Jean’s left eye, “I’m sorry.” Because that’s his fault. 

Also, Mikasa’s a bit heavy handed. 

Jean shrugs, “She’s a good friend. Thought I fucked you over and I was freaking out-” But he remembers her warning and was slightly prepared for whatever happened when he thought he’d broken Eren. Besides, according to Armin, the lack of damage means she thinks he’s pretty okay and he can deal with that. “But you’re alright, right?” 

Eren laughs a bit, “I’m not broken.” He inhales and blows out a stream of smoke to the side. “But I’m sorry for freaking you out and-” 

Jean waves his hand dismissively, “Nobody got hurt-” Eren pointedly glances at his cheek and Jean amends, “No one got hurt _too_ badly. So it’s all good. Well… that mermaid chick might be traumatized but we don’t need to worry about her.” Not that he is but Eren might be. “Besides, now they all think that I’ve got this whole epic dick or whatever so I should be saying thank you.” 

Epic dick… what the fuck- Eren can’t say anything to that, mostly because he’s laughing and it’s all so ridiculous- “Your cock’s alright. Epic, though… I’m not so sure.” 

Jean hums low in his throat and his hands are sliding up Eren’s thighs, “That’s not what you were screaming last night,” he murmurs and nips Eren’s chin. 

The memory is easy to drag out –the one where Eren’s face is pushed into a pillow and that perky ass is up in the air and his lips are trailing down an arched spine while he’s buried balls deep in Eren’s ass. They took their time and he moved slow and Eren was whimpering all sweetly and purring and gripping at the top of the mattress for dear life. Jean remembers. But his favorite memory is from early that morning when he had the privilege of eating an Eren topped with whipped cream and syrup and jam in which they made a mess all over the sheets- 

“You drive me crazy.” Jean doesn’t mean to say that aloud but he does and he can’t take it back and it’s 100 percent the truth. 

Eren’s lips tug into this gorgeous smile that makes Jean’s heart stutter, “Yeah? In a good way, I hope.” 

Jean nods and finds himself smiling, “Most of the time.” 

“Good.” Eren can’t help himself when he kisses the smile off of Jean’s face. 

It makes Jean laugh and stare at him and then he’s wiping at smudged make-up on Eren’s cheek. “I still can’t believe you got heatstroke.” 

Eren shrugs. It’s not the worst thing that’s ever happened but- “I just feel bad for that mermaid.” 

“How bout that. She freaked out and wanted to stay with you to make sure you were alive but Mikasa-” 

Eren laughs because he can only imagine. “A definite no go. I wouldn’t have wanted her around when I woke up anyway.” 

“Why not?” 

There are a shit ton of reasons but Eren settles with, “I would’ve been jealous.” 

Jealous that she was still around Jean and in their space. Jealous because it runs through him like every other emotion and he’s always jealous when it comes to people getting close to his people. Jealous because he likes Jean –a lot- and he doesn’t need a reminder of their lack of title in his face. Eren’s a jealous person but he tends to cover it well but it’s there and it’s an ugly beast. 

Which is why he prefers not to talk about who Jean is or isn’t with besides him. It’s not his right to ask those sorts of questions when they’re just friends so- 

Jean snorts, “You, jealous?” He can’t imagine Eren being jealous given his lifestyle but- “It would’ve been cute.” 

Now Eren’s laughing, “Not at all but, whatever. Come dance with me.” He slides down and he’s pressed u against Jean and they’re both grinning and Jean’s arms are weaving around his waist- 

“Alright. The night’s still young!” 

And that’s how the first Halloween goes. 

* * *

**TBC…**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I've explained the chapter titles so I'll do that real quick. Each chapter indicates the days into the semester/how long Jean and Eren have been doing whatever. f you're super curious, DAY 01 is August 23rd, 2015. So, the first part of every chapter is the DAY stated and a bunch of random days happen from that point onward. Sorry if that's confusing.
> 
> As for the holidaysssss... There are three of these chapters (this one included). All of them have a bit of PWP going for them. 
> 
> Oh yeah! This particular story only has a handful of chapters left but, I'm thinking, it's a series because Jean and Eren certainly are done yet. So, I'll probably go that route with this whole thing.
> 
> Finally, I'm gonna post some Jean/Eren one-shots later on so look out for that if you're interested.
> 
> Thanks for reading and tagging along with me, hope it was enjoyable!


	6. Day 91: Holiday Season (P2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which: Thanksgiving traditions change, people get fancy, and Eren cooks. Or, the one where Jean and Eren try to stay quiet while having sex in the room with everyone sleeping!

Second comes Thanksgiving. 

Everyone’s talking about going home to see families and parents and siblings and eating home-cooked meals and Black Friday. 

Thing is, Armin, Mikasa, and Eren don’t really have those same aspirations. 

Armin’s folks are going to Aruba for the holiday and they offer to send him anywhere he wants by way of sticking a couple grand in his bank account. Mikasa’s uncle says she can come home if she wants but they’re not doing anything special and he tells her she might have more fun not showing up (she agrees). Eren’s dad calls to say that he works and the house’ll be empty but he’ll stop by the campus at some point because he has business that way and he mentions something about putting more money in Eren’s account just in case. Eren accepts that, tells his dad he loves him and he’ll see him around. 

None of that is surprising, not for them. Not when they’ve spent every Christmas and Thanksgiving and Easter and every other goddamned holiday under the sun with just the three of them for as long as they can remember. 

What is surprising is the fact that Annie’s staying behind too. She doesn’t have any family –hasn’t had anyone besides Bert and Reiner since forever. She would go to Bert’s house (he’s got a loving and doting family –it’s why he’s such a sweetheart) but she always feels like she’s imposing and she doesn’t like feeling like that. 

Reiner’s staying back because he doesn’t want Annie to feel alone and they’re close like that –like real best friends to the core because he lost his family a while back and he and Annie were street kids together who met Bert and brought him into the fold so Reiner always watches out for Annie. Whether she likes it or not (because she’s as stubborn as a mule and likes to pretend that nothing bothers her when it does). He’s there and he’s not going to Bert’s this year either but he’ll drag her there for Christmas because Bert’s family loves them so fucking much. 

Ymir is nervous because she’s going to Krista’s for the first time and she goes to Eren’s room to rant about it for an hour while he, Armin, and Mikasa just listen and Mikasa tells her to “Man up,” with that tone that doesn’t leave any room for arguments. 

Ymir turns to Eren to ask him for his peace and he’s never seen her like that but he tells her, “If Krista loves you, they’ll like you. If not, who gives a fuck because you love Krista.” 

That seems to make sense to her and Ymir kisses Eren dead on his open mouth, tosses them a thanks and disappears. She’s going to Krista’s. 

Connie and Sasha are in the same boat only it’s not that big of a deal because they’re childhood friends that became lovers and they know each other’s families so they’re family hopping. They’re gonna do all of the lovey dovey couple shit –even stand outside for Black Friday! 

Jean’s camping at the dorms because his family doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving. His parents don’t consider it a real holiday given the botched history behind the celebration and everything that came after. His oldest sister usually does because her husband and his family are into that shit but Jean’s not in the mood for that guy’s family and he doesn’t want to, in any form or fashion, feed into the hype of “Thanksgiving”. So he’s staying and his reason amuses Eren but Eren’s happy all the same. 

And then Armin comes up with the idea to have a dinner party with those staying behind and they all dig that idea. They’ll make it fancy and they’ll dress right and they’ll set up candles and glitzy shit in the commons kitchen. It’ll be fun. 

So that’s the plan the week before Thanksgiving week. 

* * *

* * *

It’s Sunday and he has class in the morning but Eren doesn’t and Jean’s in the mood to cuddle, which they’re doing. Eren’s sitting sideways in his lap with those gorgeous legs draped along the couch while Jean’s got both arms around that slim waist. It’s comfortable and he’s relaxed and he’s actually into **_Heroes_** because it’s not like the pretentious superhero bullshit that they’ve been pushing out for decades. The shit Eren has him watching seems fitting as to what could really happen if shit like that went down and it’s good. He likes it. 

However, he’s stuck in his mind at the thought of being there with Eren and just being and enjoying it. 

See, he and Eren aren’t exclusive so Jean fucks around with other people just for the hell of it –just to compare them to Eren. No one stacks up. Dudes or chicks. All shades and backgrounds and life paths. They’re either great in the sack but suck as people or they’re awesome people but suck in the sack. Never both. And he doesn’t like people crowding his space for too long so they always get some type of offended when he sends them on their way or doesn’t invite them to his room. Whatever. None of them are anything like Eren. Not that he’s looking to find another Eren or an Eren replacement. Jean’s just curious to see if there’s someone out there that comes close. 

So far, there isn’t. 

So Eren must be a fluke. 

And it’s odd that he’s okay with that but it’s odder that he’s thinking about backing off from looking altogether because Jean’s content with having just Eren. Content and satiated and greedy. 

Marco thinks he’s handling these emotions just fine, all things considered. Jean can’t disagree but it’s a work in progress. 

Eren’s squirming and pinching Jean’s nose and Jean snorts. “Earth to Jean!” He waves a hand in front of Jean’s face. 

“What?” He grumbles and swats Eren’s hand. 

“I said, we can finish the rest of the second season on Tuesday. I’m gonna head back.” Eren starts to get up but Jean holds him in his lap. Eren frowns and stares at Jean, “What?” 

“You don’t have to go.” Or rather, Jean’s not ready for him to go anywhere anytime soon. 

“You have class in the morning.” Eren says all matter of fact. 

But Jean doesn’t care. Not tonight. “Stay with me.” The words are soft and sincere and he’s not even aiming for seduction. He really, really just wants Eren to be in his space. 

Eren’s lips purse and he laughs when Jean kisses him. “Man, you’re needy today.” He gets comfortable again and starts the next episode. “Alright.” 

“Whoa… I thought you’d put up more fight than that.” 

“I figure I can stay tonight because I won’t be staying with you Thanksgiving night.” 

Jean’s brow creases, “Why not?” 

“Because I always spend the important holidays with my family. It’s tradition.” Eren doesn’t have many traditions and the ones that he does have, he holds them dear. That day belongs to Armin and Mikasa and Eren would never leave them for anyone. 

Jean steadies himself because he’s about to poke a beehive and he’s bound to get stung but he’s ready for it. “What do you plan on doing when Mikasa and Armin start families of their own?” 

Eren laughs but not a normal laugh –the kind where he thinks someone just asked him the stupidest question- “We’ll do the same thing that we’re doing now. Whether or not they end up starting families, we’ll still spend the most important days together.” Because they’ve talked about it on several occasions. 

When Mikasa finds a wife and starts popping out babies, he and Armin will be right there and they’ll spend holidays at her house and they’ll call her everyday and nothing will be lost. 

When Armin settles down with whatever lucky guy is waiting to catch him, He’ll have Mikasa’s kids over on weekends and they’ll all take family vacations and Eren will record every second of it. 

Thing is, Eren doesn’t think he’ll end up lucky like them but he’ll still be there and he’ll still be around and that closeness –that family bond that they formed all of those years ago will never fade. They’ll be just as intertwined in each other’s lives as they’ve always been, it’ll just take on different shapes and forms and traditions. 

“But you guys can’t always be together.” And Jean knows when he says it that he’s said the wrong thing. 

And- sure. He’s a little pissy because Eren gets this ridiculous look on his face whenever he talks about those two and Jean’s jealous because he feels like he can’t compete. Or like he’ll forever be competing with Armin and Mikasa who are (apparently) Eren’s whole world. Which he really doesn’t get aside from the fact that they all grew up together but he’s known Marco since diapers and Sasha and Connie since grade school and the four of them aren’t joined at the fucking soul. 

Jean doesn’t get it. 

He doesn’t and doesn’t think that he ever will. 

But he wants to because- fuck it. He wants Eren to be around for the rest of his life if he can but that seems like an impossibility if he’s always competing with Armin and Mikasa. 

He’s no match for them because they always win. Even when they’re not there. 

Eren’s face is pulled into a scowl and he’s standing and Jean’s not stopping him. “We can and we will.” 

“You don’t know that,” Jean shoots back because he’s being logical here and he’s also being an asshole. Sometimes, it just goes hand in hand for him. 

Eren shakes his head and snags his hoodie from Jean’s desks. 

“Where are you going?” Even though he knows the answer to his own question, he asks anyway. Just to confirm what he already knows. 

Eren shrugs into the sleeves and points that beautiful aquamarine glare right at Jean. “Home. I’m going home before you say something that really pisses me off.” Because that line of conversation already has his blood boiling and he doesn’t want to be that amped up so close to the holidays so he leaves. 

Eren leaves and Jean sits there half stunned and half pissed because he should have left it alone but Eren shouldn’t be so fucking touchy when it comes to those two. 

Seriously, Jean doesn’t get their relationship and he thought he had in the beginning but the more he thinks about it the less he understands and it baffles him. Frustrates him. Marco thinks it’s because he wants to monopolize Eren and Jean disagrees because he’s cool with people having friends or whatever. But the trio- they don’t have a friendship. They have something more and Jean’s jealous. 

He’s jealous and pissed and now he’s going to bed alone –the complete opposite of what he was aiming for. 

Life fucking sucks. 

* * *

* * *

When Jean finishes his last class, he’s surprised to see Mikasa in the hall waiting for him. He bids his classroom acquaintances goodbye before he walks over to her and she smiles a bit –it’s a good sign. 

“Hey… what’s up?” He asks carefully and he’s blindly following her down the hall. 

“I thought we could have lunch, just the two of us.” 

There’s a first. Jean’s never _just_ hung out with Mikasa but she seems like she’s in a good enough mood and he can’t think of a reason to decline- “Sure.” 

They talk about random nothings on their way to a little Café on the other side of campus and it’s pleasant. He manages to make her laugh twice and he thinks that she has a cute sort of giggle that makes him smile. If things had gone differently at the beach that day, maybe… Nah. Eren is Eren and nothing would’ve swayed Jean’s mind when it came to going after him. They get seated at the back of the shop and they order and it’s quiet for a bit. 

Mikasa opens her mouth first, dark gaze sharp and inquisitive. “You really like him, don’t you.” She asks but it’s not a question so much as it’s an observation. “And you’re probably assuming that Armin and I are in the way.” 

Jean frowns because she takes his thoughts from last night and throws them in his face and he feels childish and petty. “What did he say to you?” Because he’s curious. 

Mikasa smirks. “That you told him that the three of us couldn’t always be together and Eren knows that that’s a lie but, sometimes, he gets a bit unsure and thinks about losing us so we had to reassure him that we’re not going anywhere. Ever. Neither is he.” She leans forward, head propped on her palm. “But Armin and I… we’re not in your way.” 

Jean doesn’t believe her for one second. “How the hell are you not in the way when you’re all so stuck to each other that it makes it impossible for anyone else to get in.” 

“For starters, we’re not in love with each other –we just love one another and are devoted beyond the ties of blood. Yes, we occasionally have sex and there’s an intimacy there that can’t be feigned but it’s just another way that we express our platonic love because we can and Eren can handle actions better than he can deal with words. But we’re not in your way.” 

Jean still doesn’t get it, which he says. 

She sighs, “I like females but, to me, Eren and Armin are… different. They’re different because we’re soul-mates on an alternate scale wherein we were destined to meet and destined to care. We’ve been through so much together and we’ve formed an unbreakable connection that people don’t understand because they haven’t lived our lives. We are all that we have –it’s been that way for a very long time.” Since she was a lonely little girl. 

Well… that’s news. Jean would have never guessed that Mikasa is solely into women but- well- it makes sense. And he sort of gets the whole soul-mate thing because he feels like Marco is his soul-friend because the guy just gets him and then there’s Eren- “So you’re saying that I shouldn’t worry about you guys or your eternal pledge to each other?” Because, seriously, he can’t compete. 

“We told you guys from the beginning, we’re like siblings and best friends but, we’re ultimately family. I have my own ideas about who I want to settle down with in the future. Armin and Eren have theirs. None of us have ever considered starting a family with each other and Eren… even if we wanted that with Eren, he doesn’t think he’s good enough for us. Or anyone really but, you know.” 

That’s… kind of sad. At least, Jean thinks so. 

“He thinks more of others than he does about himself and he’s so reckless sometimes… But he’s always genuine and, when he cares, he cares.” She tilts her head and squints her eyes a bit as she meets his gaze. “Eren’s a genius but he’s a social idiot. He doesn’t pick up on social cues most of the time and he doesn’t get hints or games or any of that. But, when he likes someone, he puts his all into them and he gives them everything –even when they don’t deserve it.” 

Jean raises his pierced brow because he can’t tell if that’s a jab at him or not. 

It probably is but he’ll let it slide because he’s learning more than he ever thought he would. 

“Armin likes you for Eren and I didn’t think I would but when Eren pretty much told us that you were jealous of us, I finally started to consider you for him. So I’ll ask you this just once, even though I know the answer: Do you like Eren?” 

Does he like Eren… “Of course I do.” Jean likes a lot of things about Eren. Likes them a lot. 

“Then stop competing and comparing yourself to Armin and me because there is no comparison. What we have is different from what you have with Eren and it always will be. Comparing yourself to me is like Eren comparing himself to your sisters –there is no competition there. You’ll have better luck comparing yourself to someone like Ymir or Reiner. They’re close to Eren too but they’ll never be as close as you.” 

Well… When she puts it that way- And now Jean feels like an asshole. It’s one thing to question people about their relationship with their friends but, if Armin and Mikasa are the only people that Eren has as family and- Fuck! Jean told him that they wouldn’t always be there and who the fuck does that? 

Honestly? 

“He thinks I’m a jackass, doesn’t he?” 

Mikasa laughs because- “That was one of the things he called you, yes. But he also thinks he just hasn’t explained what we mean to him to you yet and he’s planning to. I took it upon myself to talk to you because he has a quick temper and as soon as you say anything stupid when he’s talking about something that’s important to him, that’s the end.” 

“You don’t have to tell me, I know.” Jean has been the one to light a few of those fuses so he gets it. 

“Now you’re better equipped for when he does bring it up and I imagine you feel better, no?” 

Jean does feel better but he doesn’t like her condescending tone so he won’t give her the satisfaction of knowing that. 

“Well, we’ve gotten that all cleared up so there should be no more assumptions. Are you excited to see Eren in a suit?” 

The change of topic is sudden but welcomed and not forced so Jean goes with it and he spends the next few hours eating and talking with someone he never thought he’d be able to sit down and just talk with. But it’s all good and he’s grateful. 

Plus, Mikasa really is a good friend and he considers Eren lucky. 

* * *

* * *

Jean doesn’t see Eren again until Tuesday afternoon but it’s not because he doesn’t try to see him before then. He tries on Monday after his little powwow with Mikasa but Eren tells him that he has a project to finish for his morning class and he can’t. And then he gets a text around 2AM on Tuesday asking to go grocery shopping and Jean agrees because –much like he wanted on Sunday- he just wants to be around Eren. 

His mind is filled to the brim with thoughts of the guy and Marco keeps telling him that it’s love and Jean keeps saying that that’s bullshit but he’s also starting to believe his best friend. And it’s so not like the money mongers make it out to be but it is _something_ if it’s actually happening. 

Falling in love… they’ve got the falling part down for sure because he does feel like he’s falling but then, there are times when he feels like he’s flying and both of those feelings are tied to Eren and Eren alone. 

Jean thinks he’s going fucking nuts. 

Falling in love… It’s fucking terrifying to even imagine but, then he thinks, it’s equally terrifying now to imagine Eren not being there so it doesn’t really matter either way. 

He’s just doomed. 

Anyhow, shopping. 

He waits for Eren outside of the dorms and he’s sitting in his truck listening to Lo-Fi when Eren knocks on the window. 

As soon as the door is unlocked, Eren slides in the front seat, “Damn… it’s getting cold.” 

“Could be colder,” Jean remarks but he’s all caught up in Eren at the moment. 

Eren’s flushed and rosy cheeks. Eren’s tousled and windblown hair. Eren’s bright, bright, green-blue eyes… Jean doesn’t think about much of anything (other than what he wants in that very moment) when he reaches over, hand sliding into soft dark brown hair as he turns Eren’s head and captures those plush cold lips. Eren’s only startled for a split-second before he’s melting into the kiss –his hands gripping at Jean’s shoulders and body relaxing and head tilting so that their mouths fit just right. 

Eren tastes like winter –like cold and coffee and creamer and lip balm. But the inside of his mouth is so warm and Jean swears he’ll never get tired of that mouth. Never. 

Might be love… 

When they pull apart, Eren studies his face and offers a coy little smile and- “Hello to you too.” 

Jean laughs and starts the engine. “Only the best hellos for you, babe.” 

Eren snorts, “Babe, eh?” He kind of likes how that sounds- “I’ll allow it.” 

Jean’s heart crashes and revives in an instant but he plays it off well. “What are we getting from the store?” 

“Food shit. Chicken because I fucking hate turkey, veggies, pasta fixin’s, cranberry sauce, potatoes, wine, dessert stuffs…” Eren feels like he’s forgetting something but he’ll know when he gets there. 

“Who’s cooking all of that?” 

“Me.” 

“You? You can cook?” Jean’s skeptical but only because it would be too good to be true if Eren can cook. Way too good. 

Eren grins all cockily and nods. “Yeah. My mom taught me when I was younger and I’ve always liked cooking. You know, experimenting and putting shit together and seeing what tastes best with what or if you can make something better by tweaking it. I mean, I love food so it helps to know how to make shit.” 

That… actually does make sense. “Who’s helping you?” 

“I don’t want help. I learned my lesson about asking for help in the kitchen way back.” 

“How?” 

Eren smiles at that and Jean already knows that the story involves Armin and/or Mikasa. “I had Mikasa and Armin help once when we were like, 10. Armin started a grease fire and Mikasa thinks everything taste fine because she has shitty tastes buds. And when I say shitty- that girl put a cup of salt in soup and nearly killed us but she thought it tasted fine.” 

Jean’s laughing right alongside Eren and he can imagine a young Armin panicking at the stove and Mikasa’s blank expression while she’s eating bodily poison… priceless. 

“I spazzed and freaked and my mom was the one who fixed everything. But, ever since then, I just do kitchen things myself. You know… how does that saying go? Too many chefs in the kitchen?” 

Jean nods. “Yeah. Something like that.” So Mikasa and Armin are banned from the kitchen but, Jean thinks he’s a decent cook and that he wants to pitch in. Might be interesting. So he says, “I’ll help you.” 

Eren stares at him long and hard with a dark brow raised and skepticism swirling in the depths of his gaze. “You can cook?” 

“Some things.” 

“You, as in, by yourself, can make food?” 

Jean frowns and then scoffs like he’s offended (which he kind of is), “I can cook circles around you.” 

Which is mostly a lie, they both know it, but Eren shrugs and there’s that cocky little smirk again- “Alright. I can’t wait for you to ‘cook circles’ around me.” 

“I will!” 

“Hmm…” Aside from the music playing on low, the car is quiet after that. It’s a comfortable silence that Eren hates to break but needs to, “About Sunday… Armin says that people don’t understand that he and Mikasa are my family –pretty much my only family. And I think it should be obvious but, I guess it isn’t. So I’m telling you that they are and that I would do anything to make them happy and that they’re not going anywhere but I’m not stupid. I know that they’ll have their own families and what not at some point but we’ll all still be family too and…” Eren trails off because he loses his point and that’s fucking frustrating. 

Jean coughs because he wants to smile because a flustered Eren is adorable but they’re being relatively serious- “I get it.” Eren stares at him with this shocked expression and Jean shrugs. “I get it _now_. And I was kind of being a jackass on Sunday but that’s only because I wanted to spend the night with you but, hey, that’s your family. So I get it.” 

And then Eren is smiling like Jean just gave him the answers to life and Jean wants to pull over. “You do?” 

“I do.” 

Eren rakes his fingers through his hair and the quirk of his lips hasn’t dropped a notch. 

Jean’s curious enough to ask, “What? What are you thinking about?” 

“I’m wondering why the hell it took so long to meet you.” And it’s implied, the _someone like you_ bit but Jean gets that too. 

Because he thinks about that a lot with regard to Eren. 

Nice to know the feeling is mutual. 

* * *

* * *

Wednesday starts with them prepping shit and Jean’s glad he volunteered. He’s glad because he gets to see a side to Eren that he can only describe as “cute”. Ridiculously fucking cute. See, Eren has on this headband to hold his hair back and these thick, blue-rimmed glasses, and a neon blue apron that says “cooking ~~mama~~ papa” and it’s not funny because Jean just wants to litter butterfly kisses all over his face. He’s that cute. 

Eren scowls and tries to kick him out of the kitchen when he just stands there watching in amazement but Jean stays and he takes the other apron that’s just plain before he gets to work. 

They work well together. 

Eren tells him what he needs done (peeled and diced sweet potatoes, chopped onion and celery, sliced carrots, etc…) and Jean does it without a hitch. There’s music playing and they’re not talking much but Jean’s all for it. He feels so very domestic and he always thought that he would have a problem with that (because he’s young and aggressive and a man so who needs to settle) but he doesn’t. 

At some point, when Eren’s standing at the counter injecting the chicken with this crazy seasoning method, Jean settles behind him and wraps his arms around Eren’s waist and Eren tilts his head so that his neck can be kissed all tenderly and Jean thinks that they’re perfect. 

They are abso-fucking-lutely perfect together. 

Arguments and all. 

But he doesn’t say that aloud and he discretely knocks on wood so that he doesn’t jinx anything. 

And then Annie walks into the kitchen and she snorts and she mutters, “Aren’t you two cute?” 

Eren throws back a cheeky, “What did you expect?” 

But Annie only cares for a second before she’s tasting the pie batter and Eren’s getting annoyed and kicking her out and Mikasa and Armin wander in to watch the commotion and Reiner wants to know what the fuck is taking Annie so long and- yeah. 

That’s how Wednesday goes. 

* * *

* * *

Thanksgiving day arrives and it’ll probably be magical. 

Probably. 

They make a dining room out of some desks and chairs from the commons space and there’re candles and a fancy table cloth and fancy dishes and wine glasses and silverware. The food gets set up buffet style off to the side so that it’s not in the way (but they all think Eren [and Jean by extension] did a damn good job) and when everything is set up, they all head back to get dressed. 

Mikasa goes for an off the shoulder black dress with a red shawl and red shoes and red lipstick. She puts her hair up and wears the necklace that Eren gave her a few years ago (it used to be his mom’s so she only wears it on special occasions). She looks like someone straight out of vogue and Jean never fails to be impressed by her. 

Annie’s an angel in white with her hair up in a tight-bun and her gown hits the floor and there’s a slit up to her hips and she’s stunning. The natural look works for her and she’s got curves to kill. 

Reiner goes for old school dapper with suspenders and a hat and pinstripes and black and white and a tie –old school newsroom. His brawn makes it look right and he pulls it off –makes Jean think of the 20s. 

Armin’s adorable. Armin goes for tight pants and dark tones and a turtleneck and a red belt and a charcoal vest. He looks nice and chic and like a professor –so very polished. 

Then Eren comes strutting out and Jean thinks about peeling off the layers of that outfit and musing his combed hair and fucking him on top of the table. Eren just looks sinful –full on sin inducing. His black pants are tight and they make his ass look perfect. He’s got on a quarter sleeve black blazer over his black vest and blood-red dress shirt and the black tie. And the glasses –thick red-rimmed glasses this time (and Jean thinks Eren’s giving him a fetish that he didn’t have before). Eren’s even got red loafers on and Jean suddenly realizes that the trio went for a theme. 

Red and black dress wear. 

Suits them. 

They’re gorgeous. 

And Jean assumes he doesn’t look half bad because Eren’s eyeing him like he wants the same thing Jean does. But, see, Jean knows how to dress up for the occasion –he thanks his dad for that. He goes for the three-piece suit, light gray and then dark grey and then light again with a striped tie. He slicks his hair back because it looks good like that, especially with his undercut. He looks good and professional. 

And Jean could stand there staring at Eren all night. 

Annie clears her throat, “Food?” 

Eren nods and smiles sheepishly, “Yeah, lets dig in!” 

Those words spur on the feast and they grab their plates and get food and pour wine and the conversation’s good. They talk about school and politics and their backgrounds and how who knows whom and what they think of their friends so far. Someone brings up sports and they’re all arguing and then laughing and then talking about Christmas. 

The dorm is throwing a Christmas bash and they’ve all talked about doing secret Santa within their little group (even Marco’s invited). 

Reiner tells Annie that they’re going to Bert’s for Christmas and she protests and they argue and Reiner is, surprisingly, very articulate and logical and Annie ends up agreeing to go. Jean’s going home for Christmas too and then he wonders what the trio are doing and the trio just shrug. 

See, they always spoil themselves on Christmas and they go on a real vacation. An out-of-the-country, around-the-world sort of vacation but, this year, they’re thinking New York sounds fun. Eren’s always wanted to go to Time’s Square for New Years. Armin wants to see the Statue of Liberty. Mikasa wants to shop. They call it a Christmas present to themselves. 

Over all, they spend about five or six hours at the table talking and arguing and laughing and eating and Jean thinks it’s one of the best experiences he’s had at college (not better than Halloween but it’s close). When they all say their good nights, it’s disappointing and he hates the idea of ending his night in his room alone but there’s nothing he can do about that. 

He’s just about to settle onto his couch to play some COD when there’s a knock at his door and he opens it and he sees Eren- Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Reiner, and Annie. They’ve got blankets and pillows and they’re pushing past him and taking up his space and Mikasa and Annie and Armin take up his couch and turn it into a bed and Reiner takes his recliner and Eren’s waiting for him on the bed. 

And Jean is smiling all stupid and he’s happy that they’re there (which, when he thinks about it, is crazy talk because he’s never liked people all up in his space but he likes these people and that probably has to do with the holiday). He sits on the bed with Eren and they decide to finish **_Heroes_** on Netflix. 

Everyone’s asleep by 4AM, including Jean, but then he’s having this dream that Eren’s kissing him and he’s kissing back and then he’s opening his eyes and Eren _is_ kissing him and Jean’s awoke. 

“Eren-” 

“Shh… or you’ll wake people up.” Eren whispers and then he’s slipping beneath the comforter and tugging at Jean’s night pants. 

Jean lifts his hips and he’s glancing around the room and he’s so fucking hard he can’t believe it because they’re about to- “Fuck…” He groans when lips wrap around the head of his cock. 

Mikasa rolls over. 

Jean’s heart almost leaps out of his chest. 

Eren hums and keeps up a nice rhythm and he’s cupping Jean’s balls and Jean can’t. He can’t deal. He sits up and his hand snakes down to tangle in Eren’s hair and he’s guiding his head and Eren’s not resisting so- fuck. He bites his lip –hard- because he wants to groan out Eren’s name in earnest because that tongue is teasing at the slit and sliding down sensitive veins. 

Jean’s in heaven. 

Eren thinks it’s funny. 

And Jean thinks he’s about to cum and it’s gonna happen quick like he’s 12 all over again because he wasn’t fucking expecting to wake up to head in the morning –it’s never happened before but he’s always wanted to try it. Then fucking Eren just goes right ahead and- that fucking tongue should be illegal. And Jean’s right there at the edge and gripping Eren’s hair and he’s not an asshole so he grounds out as quietly as possible, “Cumming.” 

He wishes he could see Eren’s face but Eren just keeps going like he doesn’t give a shit and that’s it. Jean’s bucking his hips a bit and his vision is spotted and Eren’s just sucking –cheeks hollowed as he makes little sounds and lets Jean fuck his mouth- 

Jean feels like a total dick because he just- he so fucked Eren’s mouth at the end there and he’s sure that shit’s gotta hurt. But now he’s laying on his back and he’s panting and stroking Eren’s soft hair and Eren’s mouth slides off of him with ease before he peeks his head from beneath the covers and gives the room a quick once over. 

The grin on that face makes Jean’s skin prickle and his blood rush. 

Eren lays on Jean’s bare chest and whispers, “My jaw kinda hurts.” But he’s still smiling. “You did alright keeping quiet.” 

Jean laughs quietly and grabs both sides of Eren’s face, kisses his nose, his lips- “Payback’s gonna be a bitch.” 

It’s easy to slide from underneath Eren and when Eren tries to roll over, Jean pushes him back onto his stomach. He pushes the comforter aside and pulls Eren into an arch –face down, ass up. 

“Jean,” Eren whispers his name and the word sounds confused. 

Jean leans forward and whispers back, “You might wanna bite the pillow.” That’s all of the warning he plans on giving Eren. 

He takes his time easing basketball shorts over slim hips and Eren’s not wearing any boxers so Jean gets the feeling that he was planning all of this from the get go. Reckless. And Jean enjoys it. He literally kisses Eren’s ass –both cheeks, one after the other- before he spreads them apart and Eren’s clean. Proof. The bastard definitely planned on getting some. He’s all prepared and everything. 

But they can’t fuck the way Jean wants to when his room has potential onlookers so it’s a waste. And a pity. But he can still- 

Jean starts at the top and drags his tongue right down the crack –it makes Eren squirm. He knocks those knees further apart and keeps a firm grip on Eren’s hips before he gets back into it. Lets his tongue do all of the work. He circles that tight, puckered ring of muscle with the ball of his piercing, feeling it twitch and push and- fuck it’s warm. And Jean’s curious and decides to try something he’s never tried before so he gets his mouth right there and sucks and prods with his tongue and Eren’s breath hitches and Jean can hear it. 

Makes him chuckle low in his throat. It’s making him hard all over again. 

Eren is hard, standing at attention and leaking a bit but Jean’s ignoring that for the time being. He’s too interested on working his tongue past that first ring and it helps when he gets a few fingers in there, stretching and scissoring that heated space. He knows where Eren’s sweet spot is- what to poke and prod at in order to make Eren come undone. So he teases it and doesn’t push up against it and Eren’s trying to buck back and fuck himself but Jean refuses to let him. 

Slow, sweet torture. 

Jean wedges his tongue between his fingers and ignores the way Eren’s legs tremble and he ignores the sweet, soft, keening noises floating from the head of the bed and he ignores his own erection but reaches around for Eren’s. The tip is wet and leaking and Jean wishes that he could see it –wants to watch Eren shatter and crumble into a quivering pleasure mess. Just the thought- 

“Jean…” Eren murmurs the name as softly as possible and it’s so hard to concentrate but- “Jean… Please… som-umfff…” He pushes his face into the pillow because he wants to scream and he’s at the point where he just doesn’t give a damn if they wake the whole building. 

Amber eyes are constricted and Jean’s at the snapping point too –wants to fuck Eren and couldn’t give two fucks if everyone wakes up to watch them at this point. Fucking Eren and his fucking games. He snags a condom from the side of the bed and rolls it on. The lube is MIA so he goes with his spit and gets as slicked up as he can and it’s vulgar and dirty but Eren brings out that side of him –as much as he brings out the good. 

He leans over Eren’ his cock aligned with that wet crack and his lips pushing at a clothed shoulder- “I’m going to fuck you but you can’t make a sound.” He whispers harshly and Eren whimpers and nods and grinds against Jean –makes Jean shudder. 

And then Jean’s pushing into him with one quick, fluid, thrust and Eren’s mouth falls open and Jean has to bite down on Eren’s shirt and- and they’ve never done it like this before so he has to adjust a bit so that he’s hitting that tiny gland just right and- 

“Ughjmloijbhjkl-” Eren’s pushing back against him and yowling into the pillow and Jean just braces himself and sits up and watches for a bit as Eren fucks himself and it’s gorgeous in an odd way and captivating because Eren’s T-shirt is crumpled and up by his shoulders and- 

“Fuck it!” Jean doesn’t give a fuck if people wake up, watch, or join in. 

He has Eren’s hips in a vice grip and he’s fucking him and his goal is to make Eren cum without jerking him off and he can –has done it once or twice before. Knows that he can- 

“Eren?” 

Well fuck… Fuck, fuck, fuck… Yes… 

Armin is blearily staring over at them and Eren’s muscles are clenching and pulling and Jean can’t stop in the middle, especially with Eren getting all excited and meeting his every thrust. Excited because he’s being watched or because he’s being watched by Armin, Jean’s not sure but he kind of digs it and he hunches over Eren’s smaller body –kissing up the notches of that spine- to hold onto white knuckles and bite at a tan shoulder. Before he knows it, Eren’s straining against him and Jean knows this feeling well –knows when that heat grips at his cock, that Eren’s cumming. 

And he’s following. Wishes he could have listened but Eren’s still got his teeth clamped down on his pillow in attempts to be quiet. 

Armin’s watching in a bit of daze. Like he can’t tell if he’s dreaming or if it’s real and then he lays down and turns towards Mikasa and wraps up around her and he’s asleep. 

Even though Jean is spent and he feels boneless and he’s awkwardly sprawled on Eren’s arched back, he thinks it’s kind of fun and kind of an adrenaline rush. Very reckless. 

“Asshole.” The word is grumbled and a bit jumbled as Eren squirms and pushes Jean out of him and to the side so that Jean’s just partially laying on him and they’re not laying in an awkward heap. “Such an asshole.” There’s a mix of amusement and annoyance in that blue-green gaze. 

Jean smiles and wraps an arm around Eren’s waist and pulls the covers over them because he’s not in the mood to get dressed or cleaned up and he doubts that Eren is what with him yawning and not moving. “You started it, I finished it.” He places a quick kiss on those bruised lips, “Besides, you got really into it when Armin was watching.” 

“Hmm… Payback, later.” Eren yawns and wants to move because- “I’m laying in cum and this is gonna be really fucking gross in the morning.” 

Jean doesn’t doubt that but he’ll worry about it in the morning. “Go to sleep.” 

“Your sheets.” 

Jean’s too tired to reply so, instead, he pulls Eren close and lets sleep take him. 

And the next few days after when Armin and Mikasa and Annie and Reiner are thanking them for the show and telling their friends and teasing them and Eren’s blushing and firing insults and stammering because he so “does not purr like a cat” –Jean’s eating it up. 

They already think he’s got an “Epic Dick” and now they know for sure. 

Jean’s never had a happier Thanksgiving. 

* * *

**TBC…**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really know what to say about this chapter but... well... enjoy! As always, feel free to ask questions or anything like that!


	7. Day 113: Holiday Season (P3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which: They all celebrate Christmas but Jean, Eren, Armin, and Mikasa celebrate New Years!

Last comes Christmas and New Years, which always start with finals. 

But it’s fine because Eren knows without a doubt that finals will be a breeze. He knows this because he aced midterms and finals are just midterms plus a bit extra. He’s got this. 

Jean asks for help studying a bit because they have two classes together and he’s an over achiever who uses flashcards and study packets and needs to make sure that he _absolutely_ knows everything that might or might not be on the tests –psyches himself out but always does fine in the end. Eren doesn’t mind sitting in Jean’s room and listening to music and rattling off the laws of physics or thermal dynamics or calc formulas. 

He certainly doesn’t mind when they take a break and order Thai because the music is good and the conversation is better. 

Eren doesn’t know why but he really likes hearing about Jean’s family. 

About Jean’s oldest sister who’s happily married with three kids (one set of twins) and a white picket fence and a dog named Olive that Jean hates because it’s “too fucking big” and tries to fuck him. But Jean likes the cat, Oliver, who seems to like him back and they have a kinship wherein the cat sleeps in the guest room with him and follows him around every time he’s over. Jean, oddly, seems like the cat sort and Eren secretly thinks it’s precious but he doesn’t mention it out loud. Anyway, Jean talks about his oldest sister like she’s annoying but her kids are the best and Eren can tell that (in reality) they have a really good relationship. 

There’s also his other sister who’s four years older than they are and the middle child and she’s a rebel. She travels and protests all of these causes and she’s sexually free (Jean says he’s a lot like her but doesn’t have her enthusiasms to save or fix the world or care much about the world for that matter but they have similar views). 

And Jean speaks highly of his parents and, through all of his sarcasm and condescension, he actually respects them and likes the lessons they’ve taught him and the freedom he has and how, even though they live beyond their means, they taught him to work for any and everything that he can because they might not always have. 

The Kirstein family sounds delightful and Eren would be honored to meet them one day because he remembers having parents like that and he remembers wanting siblings (which he kinda gets in the form of Armin and Mikasa). 

So, when Jean leaves to go get some junk food from the store and Eren’s alone in Jean’s room, he thinks that he and Jean are similar in the oddest of ways and it reminds him why he likes the guy. 

Because he does. 

He really, really, likes Jean. 

A lot. 

Which is interesting because there’ve only been a handful of people that he’s thought that he’s liked like he likes Jean but it never panned out. There’s always some reason or another. And Eren’s fine with that because he’s young and he didn’t exactly expect the whole “together forever” thing from those relationships but it still sucks and did suck when things ended. 

There’s a difference, though. Between Jean and all of the people before. A big difference. See, Eren thinks that he can see Jean as part of his future and he can picture Jean always there. 

He likes it when they fight (not when it’s happening and he’s all fired up but after when he can reflect because Jean’s not a pushover and he’s equally pigheaded and he doesn’t let Eren get away with anything). He likes it when they make up (because it’s easy and natural and awkward and sometimes there’s sex). Eren certainly likes what Jean does to his body or how he occupies his mind or how they’re as compatible as they’re incompatible. 

Eren likes Jean. 

And it scares him to death because he’s only confident in his relationship with Armin and Mikasa who’ve been there from the beginning but it’s taken a long time to believe that they won’t leave him. A very long time. Because, Eren figures, if his dad can leave him –his flesh and blood dad who’s alive and breathing and moving- then what’s stopping everyone else. So he tells himself for years to trust Armin and Mikasa and he does fully but he still has to tell himself because- his dad fucked him up a bit with regards to entrusting his emotions to others but he never likes to admit that. 

But Jean… Eren’s only known Jean for a few months that feel like eternity and it’s horrifying because Jean could leave him. Jean could leave him and it would be awful. It would royally fucking suck and he’d be upset for a while but he would think that, at least they were just friends. At least they hadn’t admitted to emotions and feelings that would, then, be snatched away because admitting to them and voicing them gives them life. Makes them real. 

At least they haven’t or hadn’t done that. 

Yet, Eren’s exactly as socially inept as people peg him to be. 

See, he does know that Jean likes him and wants to take that next step at some point. He knows. But only because he heard Marco mention it to Armin on Halloween and Eren hoped then that Jean wouldn’t and Jean doesn’t ask him to take that step, which is good. It’s good because Eren doesn’t and won’t believe that Jean intends to hang around for a while and he _needs_ to know that much with Jean. Just Jean. 

And when he knows it, Eren thinks he’ll cry but not because he’s a bitch or whatever. He’ll cry because that’s what happens when he’s emotionally overwhelmed and he can foresee a future with Jean alongside Armin and Mikasa but different. 

Jean might be the one that those stupid cheesy movies (that Mikasa secretly loves) talk about. 

Eren won’t mind if he is. 

If he isn’t, it’ll suck. 

It’ll suck a lot but, at least he got that experience and he’ll know how it’s supposed to feel the next time he thinks he’s found that person meant for him. 

If that person’s out there. 

Or if he deserves them to be. 

“Dude!” 

Eren blinks and Jean’s right there in his face with his dopey smile, “Yeah?” 

Jean kisses his nose and sits down and drops the bag of junk food in Eren’s lap. “I’ve been calling you for 5 minutes. You didn’t even hear me come in. What the hell are you thinking so hard about?” 

“You,” Eren answers honestly because it’s the truth and he has no reason to lie –not that he would. 

“What about me?” 

There’s a million dollar question that makes Eren smile a bit because he’s not in the mood to share his latter train of thought but he doesn’t mind telling Jean- “About you and your family. It sounds like you’ll have fun going home for the holidays.” 

Jean hums and gives him that look and Eren’s used to _that look_ now. “You could always come with me.” 

It’s a nice gesture and all but- “Maybe next year.” If Mikasa and Armin can go and don’t mind and Jean’s fine with that. Or maybe that’s weird but- well- 

“Next year, huh?” Somehow, those words manage to intensify _that look_ and then Jean’s pulling him into his lap and the bag of junk is falling on the floor and- “You think it’d be cool if I flew out to meet you guys in New York for New Years?” 

Eren thinks it’d be perfect. So very perfect. “What about your family?” 

“There’s a corporate party at my dad’s firm that I always skip out on and I used to just bullshit with Marco, Connie, and Sasha but they’ve got their own things going this year. But, if it’s your thing with just Mikasa and Armin-” 

“You can come,” Eren shuts him up with a kiss. Licks at Jean’s chapped lips and tugs at them with his teeth before kissing him again. “I hear it’s cold as all fuck out there.” He needs to go shopping for the East. Boots, coat, gloves, hat… all of that. 

“Been there a few times before. Fucking frigid and dry.” Jean hates the cold but he loves New York so he’ll manage. 

“Did you like it?” 

“New York is better in the summer. You can do more.” Jean leans forward to pepper kisses from Eren’s chin, down his throat, to his shoulder where he stops and starts to suck at that teasing caramel hued collar, bites down to leave his mark, and- 

“Shit,” Eren groans and is so very tempted to keep going but he promised- “Study… gotta study.” 

Jean sighs against the flesh he just finished abusing and he definitely wants to take advantage of the shudder he feels ripple through Eren’s body but Eren’s right. “Fine.” 

Eren laughs and climbs off of Jean’s lap, hands held up in mock surrender. “Hey, I wasn’t the one who said ‘no sex until finals are over’.” Even though he’s a man and sex takes up about 85 percent of his thoughts, Eren doesn’t have a problem with multitasking. 

Jean usually doesn’t either –at least, not before he met Eren. “Thermal dynamics it is.” 

* * *

* * *

Finals come and go in a flash. 

And then there’s the dorm Christmas party where someone spikes the punch and mistletoe gets posted up everywhere around the dorm. Jean’s sure he’s kissed some five dozen people –some kisses much less appealing than others (like the one with Reiner). And their little group does the Secret Santa thing and his gift is for Ymir and it’s a raunchy whip and handcuff set that she loves. He gets a bright pink vibrator that comes with condoms and lubes of all different colors and flavors –best gift so far. 

That night ends with tangled limbs and warmth and Eren and a mild obsession with sucking at Eren’s nipples, which turns out to be all he really remembers thanks to that fucking punch. 

He wakes up with a headache and spooned around Eren and it makes him think sappy thoughts like waking up to Eren every morning but minus the headache. Like how long Eren’s eyelashes are and how beautiful he looks when he’s well rested after being fucked out of his mind. Or how Eren would kill him if he knew just how often Jean calls him beautiful because Eren can handle being called gorgeous (it still retains his masculinity) but beautiful tends to rub him the wrong way. And, more often than not, Jean catches himself thinking those thoughts or thoughts similar to those. 

Really, he’s becoming such a fucking sap because of that guy and he can’t believe it. 

Jean still wants to think that he’s too fucking young for all of this shit (i.e. feelings and wanting forever) but then he realizes that age has very little to do with getting so swept up and away by someone. Age does, however, have everything to do with accepting all of _that shit_. 

He’s working on it because he’s mostly a logical guy and maybe one person forever isn’t horrible when that one person is nonsensically incredible. 

Eren is incredible. 

Ugh- Jean wants to throw himself off of a building for breaking all of his precollege rules. 

What happened to having fun? What happened to all of the sex that he planned on having with all of those different people out there? What happened to being a bachelor and taking advantage of this shit? What happened to doing it up and living to the fullest? What happened? 

Okay… well… actually, he’s been doing those things, hasn’t he? 

Jean can look back on the first semester and say that it was a blast. 

He had a lot of sex and most of it happened with Eren because Eren’s fucking marvelous at it and Jean just knows that he wouldn’t have went back to the few others that there were, even if he wanted to. In essence, he _is_ a bachelor and he has taken advantage of his space –he just has a repeat guest that he can’t and won’t get tired of. Ever, apparently. Living life to the fullest… Jean’s done some shit that he’s thought he would have to work up to like that threesome on Halloween or fucking in a room full of people while they’re asleep and there’ve been other things but those are always the first to come to mind so he’s sure there’ll be more. A lot more. 

Which means everything is going his way and Eren’s only helped, not hindered. 

It’s frustrating and perfect all at once. 

Thinking about all of that makes him want to kiss Eren awake but not for sex, just because (fucking sap). So he does and Eren groans and swats at him irritably but Jean doesn’t let up until those crazy angry teal eyes are on him and Eren’s brow is creased and his lips are tugged into a frown. And then Jean kisses him slowly and carefully and Eren lets him and his frown ebbs away just a notch until he’s yawning, “Good morning”. 

Jean tells him, “You’ve got morning breath.” 

Eren snorts, “So do you, and you’re the one who got up in my space.” 

“Couldn’t resist the temptation.” Ew. Still a bit sappy. 

Eren just laughs a little and sits up. “Because you’re leaving today?” 

There’s that but then it’s just that it’s Eren in his bed too so- “Yeah. When are you guys heading out?” He watches Eren slide out of bed and watches him stretch that gorgeous naked body before finding his boxers and tugging them on. 

There are bruises and bite marks all over his shoulders and Jean’s impressed with his handiwork. 

“This afternoon.” When he has his shirt on, he eyes Jean appreciatively and then sits back on the bed and winces. “Fuck… my nipples feel tender.” 

Jean has the decency to flush and glance at his hands because, okay, he vaguely remembers being the cause of that. Vaguely. 

Eren’s smirking and he tilts Jean’s head and places a sloppy kiss on that furrowed brow. “Well… I’ll talk to you soon, yeah?” 

“Yeah.” Because Jean knows that he’ll end up calling Eren that very night. 

“Happy holidays, Jean.” And then Eren’s leaving the room and Jean already wants to pull him back and he feels pathetic but he’s getting so much closer to acceptance these days. 

* * *

* * *

His mom knows. 

As soon as he walks through the front doors, she smiles and then it falls and she scrutinizes him and then she’s grinning and saying, “You seem… happy.” Like he’s never happy- well- okay. He’s not always the happiest camper and he spends more time being sardonic and angry than happy but, still. 

“Should I not be happy to be home?” It’s a rhetorical question that she ignores and roughly grabs at both sides of his face to stare at him. “Mom…” 

“It’s a girl, isn’t it? You’ve met someone, right?” 

How the fuck does she know? Seriously? Seriously. Moms are fucking psychic and Jean hates it because, as soon as the words leave her mouth, his sisters are in the foyer and he’s got three women breathing down his neck- 

“You met someone? You?” 

“A name would be nice!” 

“How serious is this?” 

“Girl or guy?” 

“Guy?” 

“Yeah! We keep telling you it’s not a phase! But, dude, girl or guy?” 

“What’s she… or _he_ like?” 

“Probably pretty and stupid or average and smart or some mix. Jean’s eccentric.” 

Jean groans and plucks out the easiest things to answer to get this over with. “It’s a he. His name is Eren. He’s beautiful and intelligent. You’d all like him. No, he’s not my boyfriend. Yes, it’s my choice. No, he’s not coming for Christmas.” That should do. 

But it doesn’t. 

“A he?” His mother asks a bit astonished but not judgmental because she really did believe that her two youngest were simply going through a phase. “And he’s… beautiful?” Rarely has she heard a man described in such a way but she’ll take her child’s word for it. 

“Yes and yes.” 

“You two fucking?” That gets a stern look from his mother and oldest sister but his middle sister just shrugs. She doesn’t care. 

Jean doesn’t really want to talk about sex with them because it’s awkward and he can’t tell them about his rather adventurous sex life. Not even if he wanted to. 

“You’re having relations with a boy that you like but you aren’t a couple?” 

His eldest sister snorts, “It’s a different era, mom. It’s what these kids do.” 

“But, wait… You actually like the guy? Like, not just one of your whims because you’re kind of a needy bitch but because you like the guy?” 

“Crudeness aside, is that correct?” 

Jean wants the ground to swallow him but it’ll never happen. And he’s asked himself variations of that question but it sounds more preposterous coming from his middle sister and his mom. Still- “Yes, now leave me alone and lemme go unpack.” He manages to escape and make it to his room but he still gets roped into telling them all about Eren later that night. 

They ask all kinds of questions –some, Jean’s surprised he has the answers to and others he’s surprised he knows jack shit about. 

What he knows is: Eren’s birthday and major and surname and age and favorite color and favorite food. Or that Eren has three beauty marks in a straight line beneath his left ear. Eren’s eyes are a gorgeous blue-green that darken or lighten in shade and hue depending on the lighting or emotions running through him. His belly button is pierced and there’s a small set of wings tattooed on his hip. When he laughs, it’s sultry and sweet and when he’s yelling, his voice is the same. When he’s furious, his brow creases and his tone is poison. Eren’s a nerd and a geek and he’s intelligent beyond fucking belief but he’s also stubborn and prideful but modest and loyal and caring. Admirable. 

Jean knows a lot about Eren, as in, who he is and what he likes or doesn’t like and his appearance or personality. Jean knows those things. 

What he doesn’t know is: why or how Armin and Mikasa became Eren’s everything –his quasi family and siblings. How long they’ve known each other. What Eren’s mother is like. What Eren’s father is like. Where he’s from. Where he was raised. Why he’s got commitment issues because he hasn’t made a move to cement anything, despite the fact that he’s definitely into Jean (or so Jean assumes). What his life before college was like. What his childhood was like. If he has an actual family out there somewhere. 

Jean doesn’t know any of that shit and that says a lot. 

It makes him feel stupid and selfish and duped and irritated and worried (just a bit) because he hasn’t tried to figure any of that stuff out and he hasn’t really thought about it. 

Until now. 

* * *

* * *

It’s New Year’s Eve and Jean makes it to New York, New York with no problem. 

It’s cold as all fuck and dry and there’s some snow and Jean already hates it. Not New York, the weather. 

So he finds a cab and after an hour of crazy traffic, he makes it to The Chatwal and realizes that those three must come from money because no one just _lives_ at The Chatwal for a few weeks –at least not your average college kid. So, when they mentioned spoiling themselves a bit, they weren’t joking. 

And if any of those three were raised in _the lifestyle_ , then it makes them that much more likeable because they don’t act like it. Not even slightly. 

Anyway, he gets to the hotel and Eren’s waiting in the lobby and talking to some guy in a suit and he’s all smiles and so gorgeous just standing there in his jeans and a loose sweater- and then he turns and catches sight of Jean. 

Eren’s grinning and walking across the lobby and he really doesn’t give a fuck because he says, “Long time,” right before tugging at Jean’s scarf and pressing their lips together. 

Jean drops his duffle and his arms instinctively wrap around slim hips and he’s kissing Eren back –tongue pressing against soft lips and asking for permission that he doesn’t need because Eren always gives in. 

And then a throat clears and they pull apart and Armin is standing there with a smile beside Mikasa who looks amused. “You might want to get settled in first.” 

Jean laughs and chases after those lips one last time before he lets Eren go. “Where are we staying?” 

“The Director’s suite.” Eren tugs on his hand and leads them all to the elevators. 

They spend the ride up chatting about Christmas and what not and Jean finds out that they’ve gotten everyone a little something because they promised to bring back souvenirs. When he gets to the room he’s surprised but not because of how nice it is (he’s stayed in nice places his whole life and they’ve lost their splendor). He’s surprised because there are shopping bags all over and knick-knacks and- and it looks like they went on a shopping spree. 

“Sorry about the mess. We haven’t packed this stuff up yet,” Armin apologizes sheepishly but then he’s smiling again. “But, umm… You and Eren’ll have a different room tonight so you won’t have to see this clutter.” 

“Different room?” 

Eren nods, “It’s just the Junior Suite that’s connected to this.” 

_It’s just_ … Jean smiles and nods and, sure. He can see it now. They’re used to the money so it’s not a new thing and he’s learning a bit about where Eren comes from without asking. But he still intends to ask. 

“We’ve got three or four hours before we need to head to Times Square so you can rest until then.” Mikasa pointedly glances at Eren, “Why don’t you show him the room?” 

Eren nods and heads towards a door and Jean follows without question because, as soon as they’re in the room and the door is shut, he’s got Eren pinned against it and he’s kissing those pliant lips like it’s been forever but it’s only been a few weeks. And- God! Eren tastes like champagne and berries and mint and weed and it shouldn’t be an intoxicating combination but it is so their kiss isn’t soft and gentle. It’s animalistic with teeth tugging at lips and tongues clashing and tracing molars. 

A bit desperate and needy. 

That kiss has Eren’s legs wrapping around Jean’s waist and Jean hiking him up for leverage. That kiss migrates to searing nips at the pulse and small bruises just beneath the jaw. 

God, if he didn’t miss Eren… 

“ **You should rest!** ” Armin’s amused tone drifts from the other side of the door and makes them both laugh. 

“ **Thanks, mom!** ” Eren yells back. 

Reluctantly, Jean eases those teasing legs from around him and takes a step back because he is a bit tired but he wants to fall asleep with Eren in his arms- “Fuck it, let’s take a nap!” 

Those blue-green eyes are skeptical but then Eren’s shedding his jeans and he’s standing in his boxers before he’s climbing onto the bed- “You’re lucky it’s been a long afternoon.” 

“What’d you guys do?” Jean discards his coat and shirt and pants and he climbs in beside Eren, lets Eren shift in his arms for comfort and then he’s happy. Happy and warm. 

“Took Mikasa shopping and got a few things. Like, there was this one store with toys…” 

Jean listens or tries to listen but Eren’s voice is alluring and soothing and it lulls him to sleep. He doesn’t want to be rude but he can’t help it. 

Eren frowns when he notices that Jean nodded off but he’s over it quick enough because he’s tired too and sleep seems like a good idea. 

* * *

* * *

Watching the ball drop isn’t as eventful as the world makes it out to be but it’s memorable and that has absolutely nothing to do with the ball. 

The memory comes from watching three sets of eyes light up and cheeks flush and smiles widen as the crowd counts down from “10”. From the press of Mikasa’s cold, soft, glossed lips on his because they’re side by side when “Happy New Year!” roars and ripples through the crowd like a wave and Jean thinks it’s cute because she has to stand on the tips of her toes but Armin doesn’t need to when he lays one on Eren. The memory gets better when they pay for VIP at the VIP Room and find themselves among a throng of thriving bodies hopped up on New Year energy. 

So they dance and they drink and they laugh and Mikasa finds a girls she decides to take back to the room and Armin finds his guy but Jean’s got Eren and he only wants Eren at the moment. The six of them make it back to the hotel and Jean leads Eren to their room –he’s curious about what’s going to happen with those four but not that curious. His nightcap is all planned out. 

But Eren has slightly different plans that don’t lead to fucking right away. See, he’s flirting and teasing and starting that Jacuzzi and sliding in and Jean’s liking where it’s going. 

Like’s it more when Eren leans over the side and asks, “You wanna help me clean up or you plan on watching?” Because Eren could go for either and he’ll still get laid in the end. 

Jean’s torn because he wants to help and he wants to watch and his dick doesn’t know which option is more favorable but he’s sitting at the edge of the bed already- “I’ll watch.” 

Eren smirks and reaches for the shower gel. 

Now, Jean knows he’s drunk but he’s not one of those forgetful, blackout, drunks. See, he’ll never forget the way Eren bends over on the opposite side of the tub so that his ass is all that Jean can really see. Jean’ll never forget Eren lifting a leg and slicking those slim fingers with shower gel and he’ll certainly remember watching Eren toy with that puckered pink hole of his. Jean will remember. And he’ll commit to memory the guttural and keening sounds echoing around the room as Eren fucks himself on his fingers in earnest. 

But, while he watches –pulse thrumming and heart hammering- he can’t help recklessly ripping out of his skinny jeans and throwing his shirt off to the side or putting on a show of his own. See, Eren is fucking himself, yeah, but his gaze is focused on Jean through his reflection in the mirror and those cloudy teal eyes watch as Jean tugs his cock out of his boxers. They watch when a hand wraps around the base and starts a steady rhythm with nothing more than precum to slick him up. 

“C’mere, c’mere, c’mere…” Eren pants and sloshes around in the tub because he’s hot and he’s all stretched and ready and he just knows that Jean’s gonna turn him into a pile of quivering and whimpering nothing. And that’s exactly what Eren wants. 

Jean laughs and he stops touching himself and he doesn’t bother to hide his erection, he just kicks his boxers aside while watching Eren watch him. “Someone’s eager.” He tsks as he slides into the water. 

Eren splashes him and calls him an asshole but he waits patiently as Jean gets situated and then he’s in Jean’s lap and his hands are on Jean’s shoulders and he’s so ready to- 

“Wait! Wait! We don’t-” 

“It’s okay. I trust you.” Because Eren does trust Jean so they don’t need a condom. He trusts him. 

And Jean thinks that this is the moment when Eren really claims him because he feels oddly honored and sappy and he wants to blame the alcohol like that Jamie Foxx song but he can’t. He can’t because he wants Eren’s everything and, piece by piece, Eren’s been giving it to him. And he’s so swept away and caught up in the moment that he misses it when Eren positions himself and steadies himself to slowly start to ease down on Jean’s cock- 

“Ah shit!” Eren’s crooning and digging his nails into Jean’s shoulders while Jean’s gripping at the edges of the tub. 

“Fuck-” a little warning would’ve been nice but he doesn’t say that. Jean just waits impatiently for Eren to sheath him down to the hilt and it feels like it takes forever –that warmth gripping him all tight and it’s slick and it feels 100 times more intense because he can feel every muscle spasm and contraction. 

And then Eren’s sitting there with his mouth ajar and he’s rocking a bit –rolling his hips and trying to find his spot and he finds it and lets out a breathless, “Jean…” 

Jean’s patience snaps in an instant because Eren’s such a fucking minx and he’s canting his hips and sitting up straight and sliding his hands under smooth thighs before he starts fucking into that suctioning heat. Eren’s arms are around his neck and squeezing and his teeth are buried in the shoulder he enjoys abusing oh-so very much but Jean wants to see and hear him lose himself completely. 

“Touch yourself…” He gets the words out between breaths and grunts and frantic, needy thrusts. 

Eren listens. Eren snakes one hand down between them and the water and the bubbles and he’s jerking himself in tandem with every thrust and letting out a litany of “Jeannn…” when he’s not biting inked flesh. Jean can’t take it. He can’t handle the intensity of his emotions or the pleasure manipulating his pulse so he cums. He’s the first to come and it’s an onslaught on Eren’s prostate as he thrust up frantically and then Eren’s following and choking him a bit but it only adds to the euphoria. 

And when they’re both spent and breathing harshly and heavy, Jean kisses at wet lips and holds Eren close. 

Eren smiles tiredly and lifts just enough to let Jean’s cock slide out of his ass before he sits down again and groans. “That’s gonna be a bitch to clean up.” 

“I’ll help you,” Jean offers and his hands are sliding down to Eren’s ass before Eren even gives him permission and he’s prodding and opening Eren up- 

“Jean!” Eren’s startled but just a bit and he can feel it when Jean’s cum starts- “What the hell?” He’s not sure how he gets that question out but he does and he’s blushing and Jean’s laughing. “This isn’t fucking funny.” 

“It kind of is.” Because- Really? Eren considers _this,_ of all things, embarrassing? “I mean, you’re acting like a shy girl in front of the guy who’s eaten your ass.” 

Eren’s flush deepens and he scowls, “That and this are different.” Because one happens during sex and the other is something he’s meant to do by himself because it’s kind of private and- and it’s really fucking intimate for Jean to be helping him- 

“How?” Jean’s in the mood to tease and push Eren’s buttons because he’s so fucking cute and awkward sometimes- “How are they different?” 

“How are they not?” Eren counters but it only makes Jean laugh. 

“I asked you first!” 

“Whatever.” Eren’s over that particular topic of conversation so he settles for laying his head on Jean’s shoulder and taking a minute because he’s still riding his post-orgasm high. Just a bit. 

Jean doesn’t mind the drop in topic and he doesn’t mind Eren’s weight against him. He just prays that they don’t fall asleep in the tub… “Can I ask you something?” 

Eren snorts. “Don’t ask to ask a question, moron.” 

“I’m still kind of drunk, cut me some slack.” 

“What’s your question?” 

“How come you never talk about your childhood?” 

Eren sits up and stares at Jean carefully. Genuine curiosity and intrigue are lodged in honey-brown depths- “What the hell kind of a question is that after you- after we-” Eren rolls his eyes and stands up. He snags a towel from the rail and starts drying off. 

Jean’s confused and he climbs out too –sopping hands grabbing at Eren’s hips and pulling him close. “If you didn’t want to talk about it, that’s all you had to say.” Though he could’ve been a total sarcastic asshole, he doesn’t want to fight or step on landmines tonight. 

Eren turns around in his arms and regards him quickly before he goes back to toweling his hair. “I didn’t say that I didn’t want to talk about it but I won’t talk about my childhood while we’re naked and in a bath filled with bubbles and cum.” 

Well… there’s that. So Jean waits until they’re both in boxers and under the duvet and Eren’s comfortable and laying on his folded arms and Jean thinks Eren’s over the conversation but- 

“What do you want to know?” Eren’s voice is soft and quiet and there’s a hint of something there that Jean can’t peg. 

“How’d you meet Armin and Mikasa?” 

Eren smiles. “When I was two, my dad started taking me to work with him. He’s a physician that makes house-calls for the upper echelon but he also works at clinics. When I was four, my dad took on Armin and Armin’s grandpa as clients and Armin’s grandpa lived with Armin’s parents back then because he was sick. S’how I met Armin.” It was such a long time ago… “Mikasa… I used to see her at this one park all of time and this one time Armin came with me and it was really cold that day but she didn’t have a coat so I gave her mine and then I gave her that red scarf that you always see her with and some cookies my mom baked. It took a while for her to warm up to us but she did… we were six then.” 

Man, those three have known each other almost as long as he’s known Marco but they have such different relationships- “What about your parents?” Because that has to be why that difference exists. 

Eren’s brow creases and his gaze turns towards the ceiling. “My mom passed away when I was 13. My dad stopped living when she died.” That’s all there is to it, really. 

Jean’s not sure if he should press that one or not because, despite what they have going and what they’ve developed, Eren still has his triggers and topics and set offs and Jean’s still not in the mood for an argument. What he does instead of opening his trap (and the urge is there, still strong because it’s in his nature) is pull Eren to him –his arm around Eren’s middle. He lets his lips trail from damp hair to Eren’s ear and whispers, “I bet you look just like her, your mom.” Even saying that is a risk. 

But then Eren’s smiling a bit and relaxing (because he was ridiculously tense). “I do. Same eyes and everything.” He bites back a yawn but it’s late and he’s satiated and tired and- 

“Go ahead. Go to sleep.” Jean can see it written all over Eren’s face and he won’t keep him up with more questions. 

He’s learned enough for one trip. 

Besides, his New Year started pretty gnarly and Jean feels like he owes it to Eren. That guy… Jean’s sure that Eren’s ruining him and simultaneously making him a better person but only time will tell. 

* * *

**TBC**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The holidays are overrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-ish! Anyway, this story has a few chapters left. About three. 
> 
> Hope you've all been enjoying!


	8. Day 155: New Semester, Old Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which: Life slows down a bit. Or the one where everyone tries something new.

Three days. 

After New Years, he and Jean spend three days in hedonistic pleasure (i.e. they spent three days naked and having sex and getting room service and invading the other’s space). It’s incredible. 

And then it ends because Jean has to get back to campus early on account of track stuff. 

Now, the new semester is due to start in three days and Eren can already foresee himself being a bit restless and he blames Jean. He blames Jean and fucking track and the fact that the sport now takes up about 75 percent of Jean’s schedule outside of classes and Jean’s always tired these days… Fucking track. Eren doesn’t realize how much time he spends with Jean until it’s taken away. Usually, they meet up throughout the day or at night or for lunch or for dinner but Jean has trainings and practices and meets and team building bullshit and that’s already a lot before the semester’s even started. 

Not seeing Jean is one thing but, then, Mikasa gets recruited by the swim team when the captain sees her doing laps just for the hell of it so she’s busy too. Always busy for the same reasons that Jean is busy. And Armin is joining a writers circle or something like that at the start of the semester and they meet nearly every day to discuss literature and personal projects and whatever the hell else they feel like. 

Everyone else has a _thing_ too. Reiner has Soccer. Bert has boxing. Annie’s on the swim team (Eren thinks she’s the real reason Mikasa’s there). Sasha and Connie have track, the same as Jean. Ymir tries to take her aggressions out with some kickboxing while Krista is with the dance team. And that’s everyone and Eren thinks it really fucking sucks because- 

Ugh… Eren knows that he’s going to be bored. 

So, so bored. 

“If you’re this bored already, you should probably join something too. You know, become famous on campus for more than your associations with real-life polyamory.” Not that Armin cares for what they’re associated with but- well- Eren needs _something_. 

Anything outside of schoolwork or them or YouTube. Anything. Eren’s far too smart to just laze about. Plus, they did make that pact to make the best out of their college experience –not that Eren hasn’t been doing that in full. He’s just… hmm… very social as opposed to productive, which is the opposite of how he was before college (Armin finds that ridiculously interesting). 

Again, Armin doesn’t see anything wrong with how things have been going so far but he knows Eren and knows that Eren will be better off putting his time into a task that captivates his mind because he gets bored easily. With things. Eren’s a person that works off of constant stimulation unless of course, he’s winding down and those moments are far few and in between. 

“What about taking up basketball again?” Armin remembers Eren being good at that after he learned the basics. 

See, Eren’s a ridiculously quick learner and he’ll practice whatever he puts his mind to until it becomes second nature and then he’s an excellent improviser once he gets the hang of something. It’s the reason he loves the sciences –once you get the formulas and concepts down, it’s easy to improvise and make things better. Eren’s good for that. 

Eren glances at Armin who’s sitting on his bed with his head in a book. He wants to ask how the hell Armin knew what he was thinking about to begin with but, instead opts for, “I’m not in a sports mood.” Sports require an insane amount of commitment and time and effort- “Tell me what to do.” He demands and whines and moves over to Armin’s bed to shake thin shoulders until those annoyed blue eyes are pointed right at him. 

“Fine!” Armin sits his book down, “Who knew you’d get so needy now that you’re not getting laid every day.” 

Eren grins, “I’m not _needy_ and- well…” He’s not getting laid everyday and he misses it and he’s frustrated because his hand in no way compares- “Jean is ruining me! He’s just… he’s kinda good at it –at sex, yeah.” 

“I know, I’ve seen.” Armin smirks when Eren flushes. “Now let’s see…” He takes a moment to pull out his laptop and logon to the university site. “You don’t want to do sports… you hate writing… you like to be active and work with your hands…” 

“You know me so well.” 

Armin smiles, “Of course I do. And- Ah! I know the perfect thing!” 

“What?” 

“Research! You can ask one of your professors if they have a spot open on their research team –if they’re doing research. Or development since you’re in engineering.” 

Research and/or development… “You’re a fucking genius!” He snags Armin’s face and lays a wet one right on those pink lips. 

Armin laughs and half-heartedly pushes him away. “You’re welcomed. Now leave me alone so that I can finish this book before tomorrow.” 

Eren nods but doesn’t move because he needs company so he lays down next to Armin and decides to tackle Pokémon Black on his Droid. 

All in a day’s work. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

People generally come and go –very few are constants or set in stone or for life because people are always growing and progressing and moving on. Changing. So it’s a fact that most people tend to come and go and they don’t stick around. It’s just how life is –Eren knows. 

It’s what he’s used to and what he always prepares himself for with every new relationship he enters into. 

And he’s been a part of plenty of lives and he’s been left behind or he’s left people behind but he gets it and he gets over it. Some people take a bit longer to get over (like his mom and his dad and a handful of girlfriends and boyfriends in between) but it happens. Eventually. However, Eren never forgets those people because he’s sure they taught him some valuable lessons about himself that he couldn’t have possibly learned on his own. Figures that that was their purpose all along. 

Once everything is all said and done and those people or gone or he’s gone, he never sees them again. They’re just a fond-ish memory. A life lesson. 

But, on that lovely first day of classes –one of two that he has with Jean and Intro to Robotics, no less- Eren spots a face that he could never forget. It’s one that he has fond and awful memories of. 

It happens at the end of class when he walks up to speak with the professor because he _needs_ to be a part of the man’s research or development or whatever team. _Needs_ to, like a child who needs his mother’s teat to survive the first few months of life. See, Eren already admires the guy and is a fan because Doctor Erwin Smith built his own functioning and very realistic prosthetic that Eren fully believes is his arm until he says it isn’t and now Eren just thinks the man is abso-fucking-lutely amazing and genius and- yeah. So he wants on his team if he has one and he thinks he’ll have the spot in the bag because he’s good at building shit –his specialty is making something from nothing. 

So he walks to the front and Jean waits for him at the door and there are people crowded around and then he makes it to Doctor Smith and they’re chatting. The conversation is going great and they’re talking about configuration parameters and coordinate frames and equations and Smith is way into it and way into him –makes it easy for Eren to pop the question. 

“Is there anything you’re working on this semester that I can help with? Not for credit or anything, just something to do and help out with because I have a bunch of free time.” And he’s so nervous because his new idol is eyeing him and Eren doesn’t know what to make of that. 

Not until Smith says, “Sure. I think I’ve got something for you.” And his smile is heart stopping because he’s so charming but Eren forgets all about that when Smith says he’ll call for his TA and his TA is- “Levi!” 

And that’s when memories and emotions start to collide and he’s remembering that name and the face that goes with it but Eren’s hoping that it’s not who he thinks it is (there are probably a million ‘Levi’s’ out in the world). 

It is. 

It’s who he thinks it is and that Levi walks over with that rarely ever changing face and- “Hm… You’ve grown up, shitty brat.” 

“You two know each other?” Smith sounds a bit awed and curious and Eren would be too if he were in the man’s position because Levi doesn’t associate with many people and- 

And Eren can’t say anything because he’s stunned and doesn’t know how to exactly answer that. Thing is, he could answer that question a couple different ways. 

First: He knows Levi as Mikasa’s cousin who’s older than him by six or so years –the only son of Mikasa’s aunt and uncle. The older cousin who is blunt and an asshole but watches Mikasa’s back and makes sure that she’s settled in and still checks up on her from time to time. 

Second: He knows Levi as one of the first guys he’s ever really had a crush on and the first guy to break his heart. At thirteen, Eren is vulnerable and, though awfully frank and crude and all around an asshole, Levi is there (alongside Mikasa and Armin) when his mom dies. And Eren will never forget the man letting him cry on his shoulder when shit gets too rough and he can’t be at home because his dad isn’t _there_ (not mentally or spiritually). So he goes to Mikasa’s place and she’s not home yet but Levi still let’s him in and Levi lets him cry and he gives him this shitty but encouraging speech about manning up and- yeah. 

Third: Levi is the guy that Eren compares the other guys and girls he dates throughout his adolescence to but not on purpose. So he gives up on other people for a while and chases Levi and gets him when he’s 16 and the age difference sucks but Eren has his mature moments and Levi likes something about him. They have good times and bad times. Bad times because Levi wants him to make a clear-cut decision between loyalties and ties and Eren doesn’t take well to threats or ultimatums. He’ll always choose Mikasa and Armin first. And, back then, he was too young to know or understand that that wasn’t the question or demand but it was his choice all the same. Even though he’s the one to choose, he’s also the one that gets dumped and it royally sucks for about three long months and then he remembers that he has to be strong (Levi’s advice from way back when) so he is but he never forgets what he believes to be his first love. 

Eren knows Levi. Knows the man well and hasn’t seen him since he was seventeen but that wasn’t that long ago, all things considered. 

But Eren doesn’t have to worry about answering because Levi glances at Smith before he keeps those steel gray eyes right on him- “We do,” And he says those two little words so dismissively that there’s no room for questions. 

Smith clears his throat, “Well… Eren wants to help with the research we’re conducting on prosthetics and AI integration. I thought I’d run the idea by you since you’re in charge of the undergrads.” 

Levi’s face doesn’t change, his eyes just carefully scrutinize Eren- “Still good at building and fixing things, shitty brat?” 

Eren frowns because he’s always hated it when Levi’s called him that and he’s definitely being provoked- “I’m better.” Because he is and he’s got science to back him up now. 

“We’ll see. I’ll email you later and we’ll work something out.” 

“Do you want my email?” Because he hasn’t given it to him but Levi sounds so sure- 

And then there’s the slightest smirk on that usually impassive face, “I’m your TA, idiot.” 

Eren’s scowling and remembering all of the reasons why he likes and hates Levi (and there are so many). “God, you’re an asshole.” The words come out without him really thinking about them or where he is because Levi has made him feel all of 13 again and Doctor Smith is staring and looking amused and- Eren is red in the face. “Um… okay. Bye then.” 

He leaves and he hears the Doctor say something along the lines of, “I like the kid already.” 

Well… at least there’s that. 

When Eren finally gets to Jean (who he slightly forgets about with all of that going on), he doesn’t know how to answer the question of, “What took so long?” 

Except with the truth. So he tells Jean, “Er… the TA is kind of my ex-boyfriend.” 

“Kind of?” 

“Okay, so… he is my ex-boyfriend and California is, apparently, very fucking small.” Vaguely, Eren wonders if Mikasa knows that Levi’s here at their university but he’s sure she doesn’t. She would have mentioned it. 

Jean is staring at Eren who’s staring straight ahead as they walk and he knows that look –the one where Eren’s shuffling through his mind a mile a minute. “That’s weird as fuck.” Because it really is. Jean saw the TA –has heard about him- and he thinks the guy is a total ass and he doesn’t get how that asshole ended up with Eren at some point and- wait- “I mean, he’s what? Three or four years older than us?” 

“Six,” Eren supplies without missing a beat. 

“So when-” 

Eren stops walking and stares at Jean because he’s tired of all the questions so he’s just going to put everything out there in hopes that Jean won’t ask again. “He’s Mikasa’s older cousin and I’ve known him since I was 13, dated him when I was 16, we broke up about a year later, and that’s really all there is to it.” Except, it’s not. But that’s all he’s willing to share at the moment. “You have practice, right?” 

Jean nods but now he’s the one trapped in his thoughts. 

“Then I’ll see you later. For dinner, hopefully.” Eren doesn’t wait for Jean’s response –he just leans forward, lays a quick kiss on Jean’s chin, and heads out of the building. 

He needs Armin and Mikasa. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

Dark eyes focus on the words slightly blurred on that small screen: _He-who-shall-not-be-named is here! As in, here at Stanford! -_ **Armin**

And before that one there’s: _Can you come to our room when you get the chance?_ **-Eren**

Mikasa reads both texts about four times. Four. Each time she’s piecing together scenarios and responses and answers to questions that she’ll have to ask for Eren’s sake. She’s calm and level-headed when she quickly text Armin back: _Where’d Eren see him at?_ Because she has a gut feeling that Eren’s the one to see Levi and she really should have- 

**Armin:** _He’s the TA for Eren’s Robot class._

Damn it… It’s easier to text them both: _Be there soon._ And then she’s tugging on her jeans and shrugging on her tank and her hoodie and quickly putting her wet hair in a ponytail and, before she knows it, she’s at the dorms and opening Eren and Armin’s door. Eren’s laying on his bed with his head under his pillow while Armin’s sitting beside him, hand drawing light circles on his back. 

“He didn’t tell me that he was going to school here.” Because she doesn’t discuss those things when he calls to check-up on her. It’s always a few questions, straight to the point and nothing more (“Are you okay?” “Yes.” “Do you need anything?” “No.” “You know to call me if you need anything, anything at all?” “Yes.” “Alright, we’ll talk soon.”). 

Eren’s muffled voice manages to reach her, “I know. You would have said something.” 

She would have done more than said something. She would have prepared Eren for this because he’s so quick to draw out emotions and- 

And Levi is Eren’s first love. The first person he ever really pines for and the second person to break his heart (the first is Eren’s dad). Levi is the one who points out that she, Eren, and Armin have a different sort of relationship –one that others can’t breach. Levi is the first person to openly judge them about it and the first person to give Eren the choice between _being surrounded by love_ and _being in love_ –an ultimatum between his family and not understanding or a potential life partner. 

And when it all ends, it’s kind of bad. Bad on account that Eren truly believes that he loves Levi and bad because Levi ends things without looking back and bad because Eren cries and bad because Mikasa swears that she will never let anyone hurt Eren but she can’t protect his heart from becoming scarred. Bad because Levi’s not the first person to ask Eren to choose but he’s the one that counts and he’s the one that makes Eren a bit more afraid of committing himself. Levi’s the one who further makes Eren insecure about his emotions and where to put them. Yes, Eren was young then but he’s impressionable and all about actions and he’s never been the same –relationship wise. It’s that sort of bad. 

Mikasa wishes that Eren didn’t have to see Levi as a reminder –even though the break-up happens when they’re juveniles and naïve and hopeful. She wishes because, despite all of that and all that is to come, people can’t help how they feel. 

Eren can’t help how he feels. 

“What should I do?” Eren pops from under the pillow and he’s staring between them because he’s really confused. 

Not about his feelings. He still respects Levi and appreciates the part that the man played in his life. He still hates that blunt and sardonic quick wit and foul mouth that are often used against him or to provoke him. And he still loves the guy that helped him through a rough patch when he was too young to think straight or clearly but Levi was there and Eren can never forget that. 

And now he’s here. 

Which is confusing because Eren doesn’t know how he’s supposed to act around an ex. He feels like they’re on okay terms because he knows what it looks like when someone’s on bad terms and that’s certainly not them. Not at the moment, anyway. 

“What should you do about what?” Mikasa takes a seat in Eren’s computer chair and rolls it to the side of the bed. She needs to be absolutely sure of what he’s asking before she offers her own brand of advice. 

“About being in his class or working with him or-” Eren frowns and sits up, “It’s not bad if we’re friends, right?” 

“Wrong.” Armin’s answer is instantaneous. Friendship between exes- “You can be cordial because you have to take that class and you have to work together but you don’t have to be friends. He’s your _ex,_ Eren. _Ex!_ As in a person that held your heart and stomped on it.” 

Well… Eren wouldn’t put it that way. Sure, he remembers the period of time that he devotes himself to being really into Levi (nearly four years of confusion and emotion). And- Yes, Eren knows that their _thing_ was titled and labeled and then Levi ended it without one glance backwards, which fucking sucked. But! But, Eren’s not that young, ignorant, sentimental, brat anymore. Well… he’s mostly not that guy. Still- “Cordial. Okay! I can do that.” 

Mikasa doesn’t buy it. 

She knows how Eren is with people and if it’s a person he doesn’t dislike (even if they’re not the best of friends) Eren gets emotionally attached. It’s not a deep attachment but his hooks are there all the same and he has no control over that. See, Eren can only handle detachments well because he’s experienced worse (i.e. his father) and he keeps most people at arm’s length –still cares and is still there but with a lot less hurt if or when they part ways. But then, the ones he holds close- “You can’t. You won’t be able to remain cordial because you don’t dislike him and you’re not angry about breaking up so you really have no reason to be distant aside from awkwardness. But you’re not the awkward type,” Because he’s never been one for social cues so awkward situations don’t exactly apply. 

Which means that there’s nothing that they can do to help Eren with or through this. Not until things are moving and getting complex and- 

“Then I’ll just be myself.” Which is all that he can be, really, so there isn’t much of a problem to begin with. 

Armin doesn’t foresee any of this going well and he feels a bit bad for- “Jean! What about Jean?” 

Eren smiles a bit just from hearing the name, “What about Jean?” 

“Aren’t you two…” Armin doesn’t exactly know what those two are doing but he knows they’re both in deep and Jean already believes that he has to contend with them and now Levi’s there… That won’t bode too well in the future. 

Maybe. 

“Yes… no… I mean, he hasn’t asked me to be his boyfriend or anything but we’re- he’s one of the only people that I really go out of my way to see.” 

Jean is also the only person he’s been having sex with for at least a month now so- yeah. It’s kind of a thing but it’s not official because Jean hasn’t made it official and Eren’s kind of glad about that too. The way he feels about Jean is… frightening. It’s different and emotionally cosmic. It’s something he’s never really felt before –not even with Levi. Which is a sobering thought. 

“Anyway, I’ll be alright.” 

When Eren says those word –all confidence and cheeky smile with those bright sea green eyes-, Mikasa believes him. Even though he’s emotionally reckless and can easily get swept and swayed by those same emotions, she has to believe in him. It’s complex and contradictory, she knows, but it’s Eren so- “Good.” That’s all she can say because she has no choice but to take his word for it. 

Take his word and be there when things turn to shit because Eren’s always been a person who prefers actions and situations over cues and chats filled with double entendres. 

And there will be chaos because: (1) Eren’s a dumbass sometimes who doesn’t consider that other people react differently to certain situations. (2) Jean’s a dumbass because he’s emotionally dense and immature and will pretend that he’s okay and let shit build up until he reaches his boiling point which will only serve to agitate the situation. (3) And Levi is just an asshole who’s a bit unpredictable but he’ll be at the center of the chaos. 

How fun. 

“Then we can go grab lunch?” Armin isn’t looking forward to any of the potential consequences of those personalities clashing, however, he believes in Eren unconditionally. 

“Yeah! Reiner owes me a meal!” Eren’s looking forward to the semester because, even though Levi’s there, it doesn’t have to turn into something complicated. 

At least, he’s hoping it doesn’t. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

Deep breath in, deep breath out. Breathe through the nose and take up a steady pace. 

The rules of running. 

Jean’s always been a good distance runner because he can get lost in his thoughts and think himself through an entire 3200 meters if need be. His mind is always working and active and moving and it’s easy to get so fucking tangled in thoughts that he just stays in his head and, before he knows it, he’s sailing through the finish line. That’s how he got his scholarship and that’s how he’ll keep it. 

But, sometimes his thoughts aren’t a good distraction while he runs. 

Like, at that very moment where he’s thinking about Eren and Eren’s ex-boyfriend and Eren working with said ex-boyfriend and- really? That guy? Because that guy is the complete opposite of himself so he’s confused about what Eren sees in him or saw in the other guy or what the fuck ever because, as far as Jean knows, they’re opposites –himself and Levi. 

Total opposites. 

He knows this as a fact because people bitch about having Levi as a TA. They talk about him being tactless and a hard ass and insulting and scathing and a harsh grader who doesn’t budge –not a bit. Jean’s always thought that he sounds awful and he’s hoped that he would never get him for his TA or professor but he does and- and the guy is Eren’s ex. 

“Jeannnnnnnnn…” Sasha’s been calling him for, like, five laps now and she’s in the mood to be nosy because Jean’s wearing his thinking face and few good things tend to happen when he’s wearing that face. “Jean!” She needs to take drastic measures so she slams into him with her body and they topple into the grass close to the inner ring. 

It hurts like a bitch. 

Jean manages a startled, “What the fuck!” and he’s cussing and grumbling and falling and he’s sure he scraped his knee- “The. Fuck.” 

He twists around and Sasha’s in his face all smiles- “Hey, I tried calling you for a whole bunch of laps but you were stuck in your head. What’s up?” 

_What’s up?_ Jean wants to be pissed because his side hurts from the impact with the ground and he did scrape his fucking knee and it’s too cold for a fucking powwow. He wants to be pissed. But Sasha’s always been good with sorting out his mind –even better than Marco. Jean thinks it’s because she’s a woman and she has a different sort of insight but whatever. 

So he sits there and he stares at her and- “You know my Robotics class?” 

“Yesssss!” Sasha gets comfortable because she can feel it in her gut that this is going to be juicy and about Eren and Sasha kind of loves Eren for what he’s doing to Jean. 

She’s pretty positive that Jean is in love for the first time ever, which is incredible because he doesn’t believe in the whole “falling in love” bit or the hype about love but he believes in “free love” and that makes no sense to her but whatever. Whatever because she’s sure that he’s in love and it’s real like in the movies, like a fairy tale, like all things puppies and rainbows and happiness. The kind of love that a person only finds once in a lifetime like the love she’s found with Connie or the love that Ymir and Krista have or even the love that Annie and Mikasa will have but not too many people are privy to that yet. 

Anyway, Sasha loves Eren –loved him from the start. 

She knew there was something about him that day on the beach and she thinks he’s good for Jean. He keeps Jean on his toes and makes him rethink some of his ridiculous philosophies and what not. Eren’s got a quick temper but he’s pretty and cute and has these great values and he’s loyal and he’s trustworthy because, from what she knows, he’s never lied. Eren’s also different but in a good way and Sasha digs that and she thinks he’s more than Jean deserves but he needs to be Jean’s all the same. 

Sasha loves Eren. 

And she’s glad that she’s been able to witness Jean go through the motions of falling in love with Eren because it’s entertaining as all hell and she’s sure that she would have never seen the day when Jean fell in love. But he is and the guy is falling hard. 

But, there’s that saying about falling hard –a saying that she only vaguely knows but recalls it being a good thing. 

Well… Sasha loves Eren and loves Jean and loves them for each other and hearing about their escapades gives her so much life- 

“Eren’s ex-boyfriend is the TA of our Robotics class and they’re gonna be working together for research.” 

Okay… she isn’t expecting that but it’s so like them to get a curveball and they’re not even an official “them” yet. So much life- “That’s intense!” 

Jean scowls and those amber eyes narrow- 

Sasha holds up her hands, “Whoa- it is intense! But it doesn’t have to mean anything! I mean, they’re not together for a reason, right? Right.” 

“Yeah, well… I’m pretty sure that guy dumped Eren and you know how it is when you’re not the one doing the dumping.” 

She doesn’t –not personally. She’s only ever been with Connie and they’ve broken up once but it was short lived so she didn’t have to go through the motions but she can imagine. She can imagine because she’s seen the girls and guys that Jean has broken up with or even the girls that Marco has broken up with and she’s seen Marco when he’s been dumped and it’s not pretty. The people who get dumped are always wondering why or what if or how and they mope and they always wonder or want some sort of closure… but Sasha can’t see Eren being that kind of person, even if he was dumped. 

And, even if he was, it doesn’t matter because Jean has yet to man the fuck up and take the next step so Eren’s still (technically) a free agent. 

Which gives her an idea that can go horribly wrong but- “Hmm… if Eren _is_ still into his ex, there’s nothing holding him back. I mean, you two are still paling around so, like, he’s kind of free to do what he wants and you shouldn’t care because you still do what you want.” Just before Christmas break, Connie caught a girl sneaking out of Jean’s room. 

Ew… men are kind of pigs. She doesn’t get why they do everything in their power to resist that special someone and then when they’re ready for them, it’s too late. She really hopes that Jean and Eren don’t turn out like that. 

Jean is frowning and he’s got that look on his face and he’s so expressive these days- “That’s-” He snaps his mouth shut and runs a hand through his hair- “So what? I have nothing to complain about because Eren’s not my boyfriend?” 

“Correct-o!” She’s glad he’s not that dumb but he still doesn’t understand emotions and that’s disappointing. “Unless you plan on settling down and staking your claim on Eren, you have no say in what goes on between him and anyone else, including his ex.” 

And there are no excuses! Sasha’s heard Jean’s reasons for not committing and they’re all bullshit to her considering she’s watched him put a title on relationships worth far less. So if Jean and Eren want to keep doing whatever the fuck they’re doing and they get hurt along the way, so be it. It’s their own faults for being dumb. 

But she’s so looking forward to what happens because she has high hopes! “Come on,” She stands up and stretches her arms, “We’ve still got laps and you can think about it while you’re pounding the pavement.” 

Jean hates that he loves Sasha because she’s right when he wants her to be wrong and there’s nothing that he can do about that –about her being right. So he stands up, stretches just a bit, and says, “Whatever. Last one to finish has to do the other’s laundry.” He still doesn’t think it’s a good idea to shackle down when shit’s working and he only has his emotions to contend with. 

Which means he’ll just have to endure whatever the fuck ends up happening but he’s pretty sure it’ll be nothing because Eren’s not like that. Eren won’t- well- whatever. Fuck it. Jean thinks he’s got nothing to worry about. 

Nothing at all. Except for himself and his imagination but that’s not that bad. 

Most of the time. 

* * *

**TBC**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is tame, especially when compared to the three pwp chapters that came before it! Hmm... two chapters to go and an Epilogue and then this little fic is done! Or done-ish. I'll probably write random chapters about the rest of their lives here and there! Most likely. Any way, thanks for reading and if you dig, drop me a line! I swear I don't bite!


	9. Day 176: A Whore, A Cliché, & A Hotel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Which: Finally! That's all there is too it really.

After about two or three weeks of just observing and not commenting because Jean doesn’t know how to comment offhandedly in a manner that hides and belays how jealous he actually is, he finally decides that it might be a good idea to ask Eren about _things._ To ask about his research project and the progress and- Okay. So Jean just wants to know about Levi and, now, Smith who acts all familiar with Eren like they’re a band of fucking compadres. Like, the whole situation is really fucking mind-boggling and Jean can’t keep pretending that it’s not. 

The Situation: Eren makes them sit three rows from the front where he answers questions that he shouldn’t know the answers to unless he read ahead, which Jean assumes he does to impress Smith or Levi or both –what the fuck ever. But, then, Eren always stops to talk to Smith and Levi at the end of class and they usually talk for a while and Eren tells Jean that he can go and Jean usually does because he has practice but it’s irksome because he wants to steal those few minutes before with Eren and he can’t. And they never really have time to talk about much or do much on account that they’re both ridiculously busy now. Jean thinks it’s fucking awful because he misses the before when they had that time and he doesn’t want to spoil what little snatches of time that they do get with questions about Levi or Smith or how his jealous mind concocts images of the three of them in compromising positions and- yeah. 

All of that is the current situation. 

But… the problem: Part of the problem is the situation. Like, the first few weeks of class go by and Eren always stays behind but Jean’s used to that now. What he’s not used to and won’t become used to are those coy glances and that charming smile he catches Smith tossing Eren’s way. What he’s not used to is how he manages to catch Levi’s impassive expression crack whenever Eren walks up to the front or says something that must agitate the man or when Levi says something that must push Eren’s buttons because he gets the slightest tilt to his lips when Eren fumes and blushes and raves. Seriously, Levi’s face isn’t made of stone and Jean’s still surprised by that. 

Okay. So… the real problem: He and Eren keep missing each other and blowing each other off (have been for weeks now) because of sports and research and being tired and what not. For the last week and a half (minimum) Eren’s been “at the lab” and he’s “staying late to help” or something along those lines so Jean feels like they only see each other during class. Which- fine. It’s partly his fault because he has track shit to do too so they’re always too tired to get around to seeing each other or what the ever-loving fuck else happens that interferes. 

And it sucks. 

It sucks because: (1) They talk more through texts more than anything else these days. (2) They haven’t had sex –real flesh on flesh, carnal, heated, and amazing sex- in weeks. (3) And he’s jealous because his mind is creating all of these crazy scenarios that involve Levi and Eren and Smith and Jean’s jealous. (4) Especially when he has friends like Sasha and Connie who help his oh-so creative mind wander (those two think Eren’s a threesome sort of guy and what’s one more pair –sounds like fun, according to Sasha and Jean hates her a bit more). 

So… yeah. He’s jealous and possessive and doesn’t really know what to do with those emotions still. Just because he accepts them, it so doesn’t mean that he knows what to do with them despite what Marco and Connie and Sasha believe. 

But Jean _does_ know that he’s tired of not getting to see Eren when he wants and tired of the interference and tired of being jealous about every little fucking thing that involves Eren and- and he wonders if Eren ever feels the same but, whatever. It doesn’t matter because he’s got a plan. 

Even though Valentine’s day is the biggest fucking capitalistic love scam ever and Jean hates the idea of celebrating it or poring any of his cash into it, he fully intends to use the weekend to snag Eren because Eren can’t resist celebrating holidays and this isn’t one he’s celebrating with Armin or Mikasa (they have dates). Plus, everyone has that weekend off for cheesy and sentimental reasons and- yup. 

All it’ll take is one horribly cheesy text: _Be my Valentine this weekend?_

**Eren:** _Hahahahaha well… since you asked in such a clichéd way, I have no choice but to say “yes”_

**Eren:** _What d’you wanna do?_

**Jean:** _More clichés. Gifts, Dinner, Movie, a nice hotel with a nice bath, sex everywhere… My treat!_

**Eren:** _LMAO okay. Since you’re paying._

**Jean:** _I’m thinkin’, Friday night til Sunday night/Monday morning?_

**Eren:** _Hmmm… All weekend with you…_

**Eren:** _I can do that. Better make it worth it._

**Jean:** _Don’t I always. What are you doing right now?_

It’s almost midnight and Jean wants to see Eren and he just doesn’t give a fuck at the moment if he’s busy or they have class at the ass crack of dawn or- 

**Eren:** _Waiting for these test results to pan out…_

**Jean:** _I want to see you._ It’s the most honest thing he’s said in forever but he means it and he wishes that he hadn’t texted it all the same. 

So, he’s surprised when Eren sends back a quick: _Leave your door unlocked. I dunno when I’ll get there but- yeah._

**Jean:** _Alright._ And he’s cheesing when he sits his phone on the nightstand and unlocks the door because- because Eren. Fucking Eren. 

And Jean’s barely cognizant when Eren opens his door and slides out of his clothes and eases under the blanket. But he still moves over and wraps his arm around that familiar middle and kisses the back of Eren’s neck before pulling him close and mumbling goodnight before Eren sighs those same words back to him and they fall asleep. 

Fuck if he doesn’t miss Eren. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

Working in the lab is like- is like being high for hours with crashes here and there that only last for a split second because then Eren’s high again on another finding or a new analysis and- Eren’s in love. In love with the lab and having free range to build things up and break them down or tweak things and contributing to technological advancements and learning things that he’d only theorized about or had never thought of to begin with. 

It’s love at first sight. With the lab, that is. 

The people… they’re all hit and miss. 

Hit: Doctor Erwin Smith (who prefers it when Eren calls him Erwin because it makes them equals in the lab –or so he says). Eren will forever idolize the man because he’s… hmm… he’s a genius and he’s easy to talk to and easy to learn from and his smile is encouraging and- and Eren admires him so much. The man who built his own functioning AI prosthetic… he’s incredible. 

Miss (possibly): Mike. Eren’s not sure how he feels about the man who literally sniffed him to get a feel for him. It’s still creepy as all hell and they don’t really talk (mostly because he keeps clear of the man who sniffed him). 

Hit: Hanji Zoe. Whether Hanji is a male or a female, Eren doesn’t care because Hanji is brilliant and hyperactive and interactive and lives, eats, breaths the lab. And, apparently, Hanji is obsessed with him because he got Levi’s stamp of approval (which is rare for far too many reasons) and he adapts quickly to new ideas and situations and they work ridiculously well together. So Eren enjoys the quirky and spirited Hanji who embraced him so easily. 

Miss (most definitely): Levi. Eren respects the man in his own way but Levi is so fucking vexing and condescending and that nasty mouth and manner of speech piss Eren off regularly. Levi is probably one of the only people in the world who can make him feel like an absolute dumbass and life-saver all at once. And Eren can deal with it but it’s still irritating. Not much more irritating than Levi’s OCD habits with regard to cleanliness but definitely less irritating than his shitty senses of humor -which sucks. It really, really, fucking sucks. Like, all of the time. 

See, Levi’s idea of funny is morbid or destructive or both. Eren’s not quite sure. Not at all because he can never tell with that guy but he does know that the two of them have never seen eye to eye on what “funny” is. 

Eren’s reminded of that particular fact when he’s trying to get out of the lab. 

And, okay. They want to know why he wants to leave early and Eren tells them the truth, “I have this thing with a friend this weekend.” 

Which is when Hanji’s butting in and grinning and toying with circuits- “A thing with a friend during Valentine’s weekend… a _boy_ friend? A _girl_ friend?” 

“Just a friend. A guy friend.” Because that’s all that Jean is –a really, really good friend that Eren thinks about a lot and misses and can’t wait to have on a bed or the car or- 

“You’re not spending the weekend in debauchery with the other two shitty brats?” As far as Levi remembers, those three have always been disgustingly attached at the hip to the point where it’s irksome and brings back equally irksome recollections. 

Eren frowns and his lips purse and- “No. We’ve all got our own plans.” It’s a sore subject for Levi to bring up Armin and Mikasa and just the three of them in general. 

“Then are you attempting to skimp out on your duties for that shitty brat that’s always waiting on you after class?” 

“Why do you care?” Now Eren’s feeling a bit defensive because he feels like he’s being attacked or baited or something and it pisses him off because he doesn’t know what Levi’s thinking behind that impassive expression. 

Less so when Levi shrugs and says, “I don’t.” But then the man walks over and bites his neck and says all casually, “Have fun!” 

And Eren’s too stunned to say anything to that but it fucking hurt and- 

“What a devilish man!” And Hanji saunters over and does the same and latches on so Eren has to push Hanji away and- 

“What the hell?” And he grabs his neck and thinks that they’re all fucking insane. 

Hanji just hums, “Well… it’s going to be funny, Levi’s right.” 

Eren doesn’t care anymore because he needs to get away from them before they drive him crazy because he doesn’t get their idea of funny at all and he doesn’t think that he ever will. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

The plan is to be cheesy as all hell just because they get each other and everyone knows how he feels about love and Valentine ’s Day by this point so it’ll be funny and not romantic but still good and still fun and sex will still be in there somewhere. 

Jean books the President’s Suite at the Mandarin in San Francisco and thinks it’s a bit ironic that he’s kind of going all out here for a holiday that he loathes with a passion but he doesn’t plan on leaving the hotel until Monday (at the latest) so he prefers to be comfortable. He wants Eren to be comfortable. So he books the room and skips out on practice to go check it out and set things up –condoms and lubes and toys and bath oils and the room comes with holiday specials like an assorted platter of chocolate fruits and two bottles of champagne. Jean’s sure he could be super cheesy or even more cliché but he doesn’t want it to seem cheap –doesn’t want Eren to feel cheap although they might both get a kick out of it all. 

When everything looks pretty decent, he heads back to campus and over to the dorms and he waits outside for Eren after sending him a quick text. Eren jogs up to the car with a duffle bag and that infectious smile and it takes all of one second for him to be in Jean’s space before Jean’s lips are on him and those lips are like his haven and- 

Eren laughs and leans back a bit, “I thought there’d be gifts?” 

Jean laughs too because there are –lots of gifts so to speak. But it wouldn’t be Valentine’s weekend without the essentials. So he leans into the back and grabs the roses and the heart shaped box of chocolate and gives them to Eren with a quick, “Happy early Valentine’s day, babe.” 

Well… Jean’s completely thrown off by the light flush that dust Eren’s cheeks and the raw emotion settled in those green-blue eyes and how abso-fucking-lutely beautiful Eren is sitting there and sniffing the flowers and smiling that awed smile. And- and Jean pushes his fingers through his hair and takes in a deep breath because Eren drives him wild and compels him to want to say and do things that are so sappy it should be outlawed. 

“Thank you,” Eren mutters all shocked like and he’s staring from beneath his lashes and he’s giving Jean a look that makes Jean’s blood boil in the best of ways. “You’ll get your treat later, yeah?” The way those words fall from those pink lips… 

“Yeah.” And then Jean’s driving and heading towards San Francisco with all sorts of thoughts racing through his mind. 

It’s going to be a good weekend. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

The change happens at the gas station and Eren picks up on it immediately. 

He’s not usually good at reading people or situations or atmospheres or any of that shit –not at all. Armin and Mikasa tell him so all of the time. 

But Eren can read Jean these days. Can tell the shifts in his mood and read his facial expressions. 

So he knows when things go from relaxed to tense all in the blink of an eye. 

One minute, they’re listening to music and talking and Jean’s pulling over for gas and giving him the look he always gives him but it falters and Jean’s gaze narrows and Eren asks, “What?” 

Jean shakes his head and says, “Nothing.” Before climbing out of the car with the door slamming behind him. 

Eren’s stumped because he doesn’t know what he could have possibly done between pulling over at the gas station and Jean getting out of the car and he can’t think of anything, which only serves to piss him off a bit because he didn’t do anything. But he’s more pissed when Jean gets back into the truck with a slam of the door and his fingers gripping the steering wheel until they’re bone white and he’s pulling out a bit jerkily and- fuck it. 

“Pull over.” It’s not a question, it’s a demand and his voice is ice but Eren’s trying to be calm and rational because he doesn’t know what the fuck is going on but he wants to. 

“What?” 

“Pull. Over.” 

Jean does. He pulls off to the side of 280 and he stares out the window with his brow creased, gripping the steering wheel. 

Eren figures he’ll start and he’ll do this as diplomatically as possible because he wants this weekend with Jean and he can watch his temper when he’s aware of it and- “What’s wrong?” 

Jean doesn’t say anything for a while and Eren almost thinks he’s being ignored and that’s childish and irritating but then Jean opens his mouth and stares at him with charged amber eyes, “Are you fucking him?” 

“What?” That question entirely catches Eren off guard because he doesn’t know who the fuck Jean’s talking about or where the fuck he pulls that question from- 

“Just-” Jean runs a hand through his hair and laughs a bit sardonically, “If you’re fucking him and you’re thinking about going back to him then tell me now so we can just stop…” 

And Eren’s heart sinks and then he’s furious because he still doesn’t know what the fuck Jean is talking about, which he says but then, he adds on because he has every right to- “I don’t know who you think I’m fucking but, if I were, it shouldn’t matter to you.” 

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Now Jean sounds confused but Eren didn’t mince his words. 

See, Eren hasn’t had sex with anyone aside from Jean for about two months –not even Armin or Mikasa. He hasn’t thought about having sex with anyone other than Jean but he knows that Jean sees other people. Just last week, he was on his way to Jean’s place and he saw some girl heading into the room without knocking and it was crushing but they’re not _together_ together so he only sulked for two days but then he got over it. Kind of. 

The thing is, Eren always feels envious and insecure when it comes to Jean because people genuinely like Jean (even if it’s only from afar) and Jean is, in his opinion, the walking epitome of sex. Everything about him screams sex. And Eren isn’t deaf. He’s listened to the girls in class or at the cafe gossip about Jean and he’s been asked by people if he can introduce them to Jean and- yeah. Eren’s human and he gets jealous when people get close to his people but, with Jean, it’s worse. So much worse because he just- he really likes him and he wants Jean to himself some days or he just wants to be wrapped up in him. Like, the days when they don’t see each other royally suck because Eren has to wonder if someone else is filling Jean’s bed or if Jean’s thinking about him or- or a variation of everything. 

Eren likes Jean and he wants to covet him but it’s terrifying. 

_It’s terrifying_ how much he likes this one person. 

_It’s terrifying_ because he doesn’t want to get hurt. 

_It’s terrifying_ that Jean is like no one else that he’s ever met and there’s the strong possibility of forever but they’re young so forever isn’t guaranteed –this Eren knows personally. 

_It’s terrifying_ because his father and mother pledged eternity to each other and he saw the after effects of what can and/or could happen when that pledge is broken. 

_It’s terrifying_ because Eren’s never wanted to be with anyone like he wants to be with Jean and it could go wrong and as much as he tells himself that he doesn’t care because he has Mikasa and Armin, he does. 

_It’s terrifying_ on account that they met and everything has been on overdrive since that first night and they have such crazy chemistry and they mesh well and- 

And Eren doesn’t want to be hurt. 

He also doesn’t want to lose Jean so soon because they feel like kindred spirits. 

But they’re not dating and Jean’s not his boyfriend and he’s pissed the fuck off that Jean’s accusing him of fucking someone else like they _are_ dating or like Jean _is_ his boyfriend because Eren would never in his life do something as lowlife as sleeping with someone else behind the back of someone that’s he’s dating or exclusive with so- 

“You know what that means.” 

And he does, Jean knows what Eren’s saying but he doesn’t give a shit about logic at the moment because- “Yeah, well, fuck it. I don’t give a fuck anymore because you’re right. Who you fuck or who I fuck –that shit doesn’t matter, right? So if you want to fuck your ex-boyfriend or the Doctor or Mikasa or me or the whole goddamned campus, go for it!” 

Eren sits there for a second because white-hot fury seeps into his bones and he wants to hit Jean because he feels like he’s being called a whore and- ten. He needs to count backwards from ten before he hits Jean. He needs to get away. So he grabs his duffle and he’s out of the car and he’s counting backwards and he’s walking towards the rest stop and he’s so fucking pissed that the cold air doesn’t even register. 

Jean doesn’t give a fuck –or so he says. And Jean, apparently, thinks he’s fucking the entire university and Eren’s been called many things but never a whore and that oddly sits so wrong in the pit of his stomach. More so because it comes from Jean and his integrity is being questioned. 

Eren’s still pissed when he reaches the fucking rest stop and he snags the family bathroom and he paces and he wants to call Armin or Mikasa but he doesn’t want to bother them so he probably needs a cab. And- and he stops moving and stares into the mirror because his neck is purple and red and there are teeth marks and- 

“Fuck…” Okay. 

Those are misleading and he’s sure that Jean’s mind jumped to conclusions but it doesn’t give him the right to be a total asshole and a hypocrite about who’s fucking whom when they’re (A) not a couple, (B) not dating, and (C) Jean’s the one who’s sleeping with other people. So Eren can’t even blame Levi and Hanji for this shit storm because Jean knows all of that and he still said all of those shitty things and- okay. Eren’s feelings are kind of hurt because Jean called him a whore and said that he quits and- 

“EREN!” 

And there’s Jean but Eren’s pissed but then his cell is going off and it echoes in the bathroom and he can hear Jean’s boots against the tile and he’s at the door. 

“Eren… I know you’re in there.” 

“No shit!” Because his phone just went off but he really just needs a minute and needs Jean to leave him the fuck alone- 

“I’m an asshole!” 

Well… sure. Eren agrees with that. 

“I’m a jealous asshole and I think we should talk.” 

Eren stops pacing and he pulls the door open and he stares at Jean and- “You called me a fucking whore and you didn’t ask me questions, you just assumed all of that bullshit. You’re an asshole –glad you know it.” 

Jean bustles in before the door shuts and he’s standing there with his face twisted because he’s pissed too but- “I wasn’t calling you a whore and I’m an idiot and I made assumption but –you really do drive me fucking crazy, Eren. I can never tell where the fuck your head is at when it comes to whatever this is we’ve got going and I know jack shit about who you see outside of me and you work with your ex-boyfriend and then you show up for this weekend and you’ve got this bite on your neck that I sure as hell didn’t give you last night or this morning-” 

Eren cuts him off, “If you would have asked, I would have told you that Levi and Hanji bit me because they’re awful and have awful senses of humor. If you’d asked, I would have told you that I’ve only been sleeping with you for the last two months or so. Had you plucked your balls from wherever the fuck they’ve been hiding and just asked me any of that shit, _any of it_ , I would have told you.” And it would have been the truth because Eren doesn’t see a point to lies but Jean never asked him anything. He just assumed. 

And Eren’s still pissed. 

But Jean feels like a jackass and Eren always makes him feel like a jackass and like the bad guy when he’s just confused by all of this shit and all of his fucking emotions that he’s usually good at pushing down but Eren pulls them out so easily and- “Okay, I was wrong. Really fucking wrong for making assumptions and inadvertently calling you a whore. I’ll claim that. But you- what the hell am I supposed to think when it comes to you? I mean, you never tell me anything that’s going on in your head and you never say anything about what we have going and it confuses the fuck out of me. I’ve never had to deal with shit like this –like being in love and wanting someone and jealousy and I-” 

Eren doesn’t hear the rest of Jean’s rambling because he gets stuck on the bit about being in love and his heart stops and he can’t really breathe and he’s making assumptions and he’s pissed and confused but- but Jean might be in love with him? Really? Jean might be in love with him. And that thought makes him feel overwhelmed and giddy and it’s like feeling every emotion all at once and he can’t think beyond saying- “Wait!” 

Jean’s mouth snaps shut and he’s staring at Eren and Eren’s staring back, “Wait what?” He was on a roll and he feels like he was getting a good chunk of shit off of his chest- 

“Are you in love with me?” The question echoes around the bathroom. 

Jean’s eyes go wide and then his cheeks color and he’s raking his fingers through his hair and- “Fuck…” He’s eyeing Eren and he can’t read him but he can’t lie to those eyes. Those gorgeous teal eyes… “Yeah- er- I mean- I think so. It’s- fuck- it’s complicated.” 

Being in love is complicated because Jean didn’t believe in it before and he’s been having a hard time wrapping his head around it but he’s been with his fair share of people and then Eren came along and mixed shit up. Eren enters his life and makes him feel things with an intensity that he has no idea about –not until Eren. And it’s been that way from the very beginning. So, if there’s something between them- if being in love means that he thinks about Eren day and night. Or can’t go a day without talking to him. Or he enjoys every moment they share together (whether they’re having sex or studying or arguing or doing nothing at all). Or that he’s the best of himself when he’s with Eren so he’s constantly thinking about a future with Eren in it. Or his emotions are crazy wild whenever they’re together then… Yeah, Jean’s pretty sure he’s in love. 

He fell in love –hard, fast, intense, perplexing, and horrifying. 

Jean figures he’s in love with Eren. 

So, “Yeah. I’m in love with you.” And it’s only embarrassing because he thought he’d never say those words but there he is saying them with a straight face and his cheeks burning and he’s not looking at Eren but, when he does, his jaw goes slack. 

Eren’s fucking gorgeous with those bright, crystalline, and dewy blue-green eyes all wide and his smile makes Jean’s pulse pick up and his heart stutters and- 

Yeah. Definitely love. 

And Jean doesn’t waste any more time being embarrassed before he crosses the bathroom and he’s cupping Eren’s dampening cheeks and smiling stupidly because Eren’s crying and smiling and- “I love you, Eren.” Those are probably the most earnest words that he’s ever spoken. “Say something… what are you thinking?” He murmurs against those wonderful lips and he just wants to devour Eren but the bathroom is all wrong. 

Worst place for a love confession. Ever. 

Eren stares and sniffs and says, “I’m not crying.” 

Jean snorts but says, “Yeah, okay.” 

Eren lets the sarcasm slide because what comes out of his mouth next is, “I really, really fucking like you and I don’t really get it but I do and you drive me crazy too, yeah.” He feels dumb saying that because it just doesn’t sound right and it could be taken all kinds of wrong but then, Jean kisses his lips and he’s giving him that look. 

“Yeah.” 

And Eren can’t. He can’t deal. “I might’ve fallen for you a bit,” he mumbles through his tears because Jean just spent the last hour fucking with his emotions and he feels emotionally raw and- and they’re in a fucking rest stop bathroom. 

It’s the absolute worst. 

Or the best. 

Eren’s not sure yet. 

“Hmm… Might’ve?” 

Eren snorts, “Fine. I’m in love with you, bastard.” 

Jean’s grinning from ear to ear as he wipes at wet eyes with the pads of his thumb, “Good to know.” He kisses Eren’s nose and he takes a wrist and snags the duffle before he starts heading out of the bathroom. 

“Where are we going?” 

Jean doesn’t stop walking, he just tosses a smile over his shoulder and says, tone deep and thick and oh-so promising, “The hotel. I’m gonna make love to you all weekend.” 

Eren can’t breathe. Can barely walk. He feels like there’s fire weaving through his bloodstream and thunder pounding his heart and he’s short-circuiting all over the place. 

Jean wants to make love. 

Eren fully intends to participate. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

The car ride is tense and packed with adrenaline and only bearable on account of the alternative station buzzing in the background. 

Eren feels hyped up. Wired. Like sparks are shooting through him and his mind is all static with the occasional intrusion of thoughts about Jean and love and making love. He’s never been made love to. He’s had sex out of love and need and desperation because he’s _needed_ in that moment to feel something raw but he’s only had that with Armin and Mikasa and he highly doubts that it’s anything like making love. 

Just those words ( _making love_ ) char his veins and electrocute his pulse and he still can’t think along a linear path –he’s surprised he can inhale and exhale properly. 

When the car stops and gets handed off to valet, Jean leads him by the small of his back towards the elevators and Eren’s nervous. He’s nervous because it’s like his first time all over again with the anticipation and the eagerness and the nerves and the fear and the uncertainty. Those emotions are like a whirlwind churning his stomach and it’s all because he’s hyperaware of Jean and every touch sets him off –makes him numb and wanton and needy. Every coy glance from those honey-brown eyes makes him quiver because there are promises etched into those corneas and Eren has no doubt that Jean intends to keep them. 

By the time the elevator stops at their room, Eren’s a mess. 

See, he’s so fucking excited and terrified to his core that it hurts. It really does, so he has to pause and he has to tell Jean- “I’m scared.” And he says it like it’s an apology and it probably is. 

But Jean just smiles and shrugs out of his fleece hoodie. “You think I’m not.” He takes slow and deliberate steps towards Eren –back towards the elevator. He takes balled fists into his hands and makes sure that he’s making eye contact. “I’ve been freaking out for months. I mean, I never thought I’d fall in love or that that shit was real and then I met you.” 

Eren snorts because Jean sounds like such a sap but he understands. “Our connection was kind of insane… since that first night on the beach.” 

“Right. Shit picked up quick and I think we tried to pace ourselves but, man…” Jean trails his hands up Eren’s arms, his shoulders, cups his neck- “I tried to fight this because this isn’t me. Shouldn’t be me.” 

“We’re too young,” Because they are and Eren’s an idealist but he’s not stupid. 

Jean shakes his head, “Not too young. Just not old enough to appreciate what we’ve found.” 

Again, Eren snorts, “Marco told you that.” 

Jean laughs, “Yeah. Old man that he is. But, my point is, I’m scared too because I know we’re young and I know the odds of reality aren’t stacked in our favor but I want to give this whole being in love thing a shot. I think you’re worth it.” 

That slick fucking tongue… Eren’s a sucker for Jean’s slick and slicked tongue –was from the start. He’s still scared but he wants to trust Jean. Feels it in his gut that he can and his gut has never been wrong. 

“So, if it’s alright with you, I want to make love to you.” Jean takes a second to unzip Eren’s windbreaker and push it off of his shoulders. “I plan to spend this entire weekend licking and kissing every inch of your body.” 

Eren quakes and his pupils constrict. 

“I’ll memorize every scar and dimple and blemish.” Jean tugs at his own shirt and pulls it over his head before bracing both gorgeously inked arms on either side of Eren’s. “For the next three days, you’re mine.” 

Eren’s coming undone and he blames that wicked, wicked mouth. 

Jean leans forward, lips teasing along the seam of Eren’s mouth. “But, maybe, if we don’t fuck this up, you’ll be mine for the rest of our lives.” 

And- That’s it. That fucking cheesy but perfect proposal of forever is all it takes to push Eren over the edge and he’s pulling Jean close and swallowing those words and grappling for strong shoulders and his legs are being coaxed around Jean’s waist and he’s following. Jean hefts him up and holds him close and groans low in his throat because Eren is doing the thing with his tongue along his thudding pulse on the right side of his neck as they stumble into the bedroom… 

And then Eren stops because he’s staring and Jean stops walking and that quirk to Eren’s lips is really breath taking. “Forever until we fuck up.” 

“Forever until we fuck up,” Jean mimics and it feels right and having Eren say it makes him feel like he can do just about anything in the fucking world and- and fucking Eren is sucking at his jaw and Jean wants him naked. 

So he does it. He tosses Eren onto the bed to work on getting those clothes off. Eren laughs and watches with half-lidded teal eyes as Jean manhandles him –starts with unbuttoning his jeans and tugging until they come off and then Jean’s sliding between his bare thighs and chasing after his lips. It’s a tease of a kiss because then his shirt is off and Jean’s staring at him like- like he loves him from the depths of his soul. Like he’s starving and fully intends to devour the meal in front of him. Like Eren is the sun that his world revolves around. 

And that look just intensifies everything. 

Makes every touch feel trail blazing and every kiss earth shattering. Eren’s ears are ringing and his visions blurry and Jean’s doing nothing more than lapping at his chest (from nipple to nipple). But he’s so hard, it hurts. 

“Jean…” The name rolls off of Eren’s tongue like sin incarnate. 

It makes Jean pause and glance up but not before he trails his tongue down to Eren’s naval and gives that silver hoop a light tug. He feels the tremor ripple through Eren and watches that back arch. 

“Wanna- Wanna taste you too.” Eren manages between tossing his head and Jean’s cock twitches. 

It takes all of his self-control to stand and work his pants off and Eren’s sitting up and watching him and smirking. 

Jean’s about to climb onto the bed when Eren says, “Lay down for me.” 

And he obliges –lays in the middle of the bed and before he can ask, “What next,” Eren’s face is upside down and above him and his mouth is being licked into and his pierced lip is being tugged on and worried between gentle teeth and- fuck. Because, all jean sees from his vantage point is that gorgeous round ass right before Eren’s mouth wraps around the head of his cock, which, after that, his eyes are rolling into the back of his head- 

“Christ!” He groans because Eren’s just tonguing at the slit and sucking and sliding his mouth down, down, down- “Fuck.” He grabs for Eren’s ass and pulls those hips closer to his face and, like a ritual now, kisses both cheeks before pushing them apart and Eren- Eren always makes sure that he’s clean but he’s not prepped this time and Jean hasn’t eaten him in a few weeks- looks tight. 

Makes him swallow and pull Eren closer to his mouth. Makes Eren’s leaking cock brush against his chest. Makes his heart thud because Eren’s mouth is incredible and- and it’s time for Jean to dig in because he’s ravenous and Eren’s always been the best meal. 

* * *

**TBC**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey baybays! Two chapters left but it's about damn time right? Right. The long awaited love confession that these two have been skirting around for the last 6 months! Now, I'm not a firm believer of love at first sight but sometimes you just meet that person -friend or otherwise- that absolutely gels with you from the get go! That's what Jean and Eren have going for them! They were in sync from the start and it just progressed to so much more. Anywho, hope you've all enjoyed so far! Next chapter is the last and then the one after it is the Epilogue! Those two are both partly written! 
> 
> Everyone... thank you so much for tagging along with me on this story! This will be one of the first multi-chapter fics that I've completed! YAYYYYYYYY! Today, I also finished my last class as an undergrad and I graduate from college this Sunday so I'm super excited! Anyway, enough about me! Thank you guys for believing in this story and joining me! If you have anything to say, don't hesitate to drop a line! Fucking love you guys!
> 
> Side Note: Posting a new story following this update so keep a look out! This new one is fun for different reasons. :)


	10. Day 180 – 177 + 181: A Whore, A Cliché, & A Hotel (P2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Which: Eren and Jean enjoy their newfound love. Or, the one where Jean and Eren make love and fuck and enjoy the honeymoon phase of their relationship -in full- and then they let their friends know that they've stopped bullshitting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suuuuuuuuuuppppppppppeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrr long ending chapter! Cereally! It's my thanks to you guys for sticking with me and reading up to this point! So... Thank you *bows, blushes profusely, and flees*!

Present: Sunday 11PM. It consists of the balcony and the spare comforter that Eren called the front desk for and champagne and forgotten chocolate dipped fruit and Eren straddling Jean’s lap as he feeds him. 

They’re being kind of gross in an unhygienic way because Eren drinks right from the bottle and Jean always snags his jaw to pull that mouth close and swallow what’s left of the champagne Eren’s holding in his cheek. _That_ kind of gross. But neither of them care because it gets worse. The kind of worse where Eren’s tossing fruit at Jean’s mouth and laughing when he misses but indulging in the chocolate mess of Jean’s mouth when he aims just right and he’s licking at the groves of teeth and scooping pieces into his own mouth- worse! 

But then Eren’s leaning back and chewing and staring at Jean and his hair is tousled and damp and he’s warm even though he should be cold. He blames the blanket and Jean. Blames the gorgeous city as their backdrop and the stars above. Blames the thumping of his heart as he holds Jean’s head in both hands and asks, “So… do you want to be my boyfriend?” 

Jean laughs a bit and wraps his arms around Eren’s middle, pulls him closer, “That wasn’t established on Friday?” 

“No. Just because we were all sappy and admitted to some emotions, it doesn’t mean we put a title on this thing. But I want one. I want you –‘til you fuck up.” 

Jean hums, nips Eren’s chin and kisses the underside of his jaw before he glances into green-blue eyes, “Until you fuck up, I’m yours. I’m your boyfriend.” 

Eren’s all teeth and lips when he pulls Jean’s mouth to him. Jean tastes like San Francisco nights and berries and champagne and sex. He tastes a bit like a potential forever and Eren’s so very hooked. When they break apart, Jean’s frowning and Eren’s smoothing out the crease of his brow and asking, “What?” 

“Our anniversary is on fucking Valentine’s Day.” Jean’s pouting a bit and cursing himself because- of course! Of course he’d end up with an overplayed anniversary date on a holiday that he despises. Of course. 

Eren thinks it’s incredibly funny and he’s laughing from his gut with his shoulders shaking and his eyes watering at the corners. Somehow, he manages to say, “It’s fucking perfect.” And it is. 

The perfect anniversary date for the ever pragmatic and pessimistic Jean Kirstein. 

Jean growls and throws a handful of chocolate cherries at Eren. “I’ll never hear the end of this.” 

He can already hear Marco and Connie and Sasha laughing their asses off and cracking jokes and buying gifts and- and it’s gonna be terrible. But he’ll love it. Jean’ll love it because it’s the day he snagged Eren in earnest so he won’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. He’ll celebrate Eren. 

“You and me both.” Teal eyes glance out at the city before they stare down at Jean. “We going to class tomorrow?” 

“Do I still need to carry you to the bed?” Because, last Jean checked, Eren wasn’t exactly walking right and his hips were sore. Not that Eren was complaining when things were- 

“It’s your fault!” Eren’s face is reddening because, okay. He couldn’t exactly stand after that last time in the shower or the time before in the kitchen- 

Jean snorts and draws circles on Eren’s hips with his thumbs. “My fault? You’re the one who asked me to ‘help you shower’ and you started jerking me off-” 

“Because you were hard and it was poking me in the back when you were washing my hair!” 

Well… fine. He did get hard seeing Eren all soaped up and hunched over on the floor of the shower because he couldn’t really stand. But- “You never told me to stop. Matter of fact, I remember you saying something about ‘harder’ or ‘right there’ and-” 

“No class tomorrow, asshole!” 

Jean’s still smirking when he kisses those swollen lips. “Alright.” 

* * *

* * *

* * *

Rewind: Sunday, 2PM. Consists of the bed, crinkled sheets, and abandoned lunch. It’s far too hot and there are candles lit because Eren didn’t want them to go to waste, even if they’re a gag gift of sorts. Jean doesn’t give a fuck about ambiance because his mind is preoccupied with Eren. 

Pause. 

Eren’s gorgeous. 

Eren’s gorgeous and Jean can’t think straight. 

Eren’s gorgeous and Jean can’t think straight and he can’t concentrate. 

Eren is gorgeous with his breath hitching while soft keening sounds tumble from his kiss-swollen lips as he rocks his hips between bounces with his palms pressed into Jean’s chest because he’s riding Jean’s cock at a slow and steady and torturous pace. Jean cannot think straight because the muscles deep inside of Eren are clenching and working his hard-on and it feels fucking incredible because they’re not using condoms at the moment (reckless) so he can feel everything –every spasm, all of the heat. Everything. Jean cannot concentrate on anything more than gripping at tanned thighs and thrusting up just a bit with every slow twitch of Eren’s hips and the sensations and Eren’s dirty mouth as he gasps out shit like “love your cock” or “fuck me” or even the drawn out, needy version of, “Jean”. 

On account of all of that, Jean feels like he’s at the cusp of orgasm and has been there for about 10 excruciating minutes. He’s at the point where, if he could, he’d fuck into Eren and suck on his bobbing Adam’s apple and wait for the anticipatory bite from Eren that would really drive him over the edge. 

See, Eren’s kind of trained Jean’s body to respond to being bitten around the neck and collar area where, as soon as it happens, it sets his nerves on overdrive –makes him hella responsive. 

Makes him _want._

But he promised to let Eren take the lead this go around. Promised because Eren swears he’ll come from prostate stimulation alone and Jean’ll get to watch from a different view. Promised that they’ll make love all slow and sweet and close and- and it’s fucking sappy and incredible all at once. 

God… the things he does for Eren. “Fucking love you,” He groans out because Eren’s starting to pick up the pace and those muscles are tightening and Jean knows what that means: Eren’s close. 

Eren stares at him with blown pupils and mouth opening and shutting while he attempts to say something between all of those noises and then he manages an, “I know.” Just before he slams down and Jean’s pushing up and- 

Eren’s cumming. 

It’s beautiful. 

Jean’s coming undone because he’s holding hips now and thrusting with pinpoint accuracy into Eren’s slick and gripping ass and it feels fantastic. When he does come, it’s with crazy intensity that pulses euphoria through every cell and nerve fiber because that slow build up and horrific pace was obviously worth it. Jean fucking loves Eren –gorgeous and sensual Eren who brings him to pleasure plateaus that he’s not aware of until he reaches them. 

Jean comes undone and then he cums and he fucking loves Eren. 

Jean cums and he fucking loves Eren. 

He fucking loves Eren. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

Rewind: Sunday, 3AM. Eren’s exhausted because he’s been bending and using muscles that he, apparently, doesn’t use often. See, he let Jean bend him over the mini fridge after giving himself away against the glass doors overlooking the city but not before grinding and jerking Jean off in the recliner. And there’s more. A lot more that involved handcuffs and a vibrator and begging until his throat is horse but it’s fine because Jean let him test out that vibrating cock-ring and Eren thinks he likes when Jean wears it –likes sucking him off while he’s wearing it- so they’re kind of even. 

He’s still tired but Jean’s being a bit of a sap and wants to know everything about him and Eren doesn’t mind indulging him because he’s comfortably naked and wrapped around Jean, the same as their comforter, so post-coital discussion is on the books. 

Pause: Jean’s asked a lot of things but he’s curious about Eren’s dating history. About the people he’s been with before and why it’s him now. 

“Worst date was with this guy named Nac who was a senior when I was a sophomore. He was a closet case so he took me two cities over to the movies and then he tried to make out with me in his car but he couldn’t kiss for shit and he pulled out his small dick at some point-” 

“Wait, what? He just, what? Whipped it out?” 

“Yeah! He thought guys just hopped right in to fooling around on the first date and he thought I’d give him head. Instead, he got punched in the face and I still made him drop me off at home.” 

Jean laughs and can barely imagine the scenario because he knows Eren’s got a temper but he can’t actually imagine him fighting. That aside- “We jumped right in to fucking around.” 

Eren smirks, “We weren’t on a date.” Matter of fact, “If you hadn’t asked to see me again, we wouldn’t be here now.” 

“And we would’ve both regretted it.” 

“True!” Eren yawns and presses closer to Jean. “Your turn.” 

“Worst date… the RA of Loro, Hitch. She asked me to lunch and to help her with her pre-calc and I didn’t think much of it. Lunch turned out to be at the place her ex worked and she was trying to make him jealous and she was laying it on thick and- yeah. The shit was bad.” 

“That can’t be your worst date!” 

“I don’t date that often.” Jean thinks dating is tedious and just a prelude to sex unless, of course, the person he’s seeing has actual substance and that makes them worth a date but he rarely finds those types and Eren’s an exception all around so- “Has it really been two months since you’ve seen anyone else?” He’s been wondering and he doesn’t doubt Eren but. But he’s human and he can’t help wondering. 

“Hmm… maybe a little longer than that. What about you? When’s the last time you were with anyone besides me?” Eren’s kind of afraid of the answer to that question. He doesn’t really want to know but, at the same time- 

“A week or so before Thanksgiving.” 

Eren glances at Jean because- “Really?” 

“Yeah. I mean… No one was you and I didn’t want another you and I didn’t want to look for something that I didn’t want. I think I was coming to terms with _this_ around then but I’m stubborn as all fuck when I want to be. And after New Year’s… you know… you were kinda all that I could think about. So- Uh- Yeah. I didn’t care about seeing anyone else.” It sounds dumb and jumbled but it’s the truth. Around that time, Eren was all that he wanted and more than he needed. Still is. 

Eren smiles at that and he believes Jean but he feels like an asshole because he just assumed- “A couple weeks ago I was on my way to your room and I saw this girl just walk in…” And he lets the sentence drop because it sounds ridiculous but- 

“I’m not lying! I swear. And if you saw any girl just walking into my room, it was probably someone from the track team. They like to meet at my place to discuss meets and shit because I don’t have a roommate. But, you’ve been it- the only person since around Thanksgiving.” 

“Okay.” Eren believes him. And that makes him stupidly happy. 

But now Jean has a question burning away in his mouth and he’s sure he knows the answer but he’s going to ask anyway. “Longest relationship?” 

Eren doesn’t even have to think about it, “One year. Yes, it was with Levi. No, I’m not still into him. No, it’s not weird that we work together. Any other questions?” It’s a good idea to get the subject of Levi out of the way now before it causes anymore trouble because Eren hasn’t forgotten about their argument on Friday and he hasn’t forgotten that Levi was brought up a few times in there. 

He’s not a person that forgets. 

Jean remembers too and he does have questions –questions that he just needs to get out so he can not think about them anymore. “Why’d you break up?” 

Eren yawns, “Had something to do with picking him or Armin and Mikasa and I picked them and he ended things but, well… I guess that wasn’t exactly the ultimatum because he didn’t understand things between us three and I didn’t explain them so he had all of these assumptions… Probably has a lot to do with our age difference too.” In hindsight, it could have been a number of things compounded but Eren doesn’t really care anymore. 

“Was it serious?” 

“Yeah. Well… it was serious to teenage me.” Eren sits up and stares down into rich honey-brown eyes because he feels like he needs to look at Jean. Needs to see his face and make sure that he understands- “Levi was… my first love and my first heartbreak.” Jean frowns but it makes Eren laugh. “I was 13 when I first started crushing and, with everyone I dated, I kept trying to compare them but I was a brat and I didn’t think that was fair by the time I was 16 so… I went after him, got him, loved him, it didn’t work out. But,” Eren takes a second to climb on top of Jean. Takes a second to make sure that they’re staring at each other, “But I dated a lot of different people before Levi, a few after, and no one made me feel like he did. But, see, he’s never made me feel like you do.” 

Okay. That kind of makes Jean smile because Eren’s always so fucking honest and he’s sitting up there with that unabashed look in his eyes- “He hasn’t?” 

“Nah, not even close. Now, if you want, I can keep stroking your ego. Or…” Eren lets his hand trail down Jean’s chest, over his own thigh, around to Jean’s cock and it’s already at half mast. 

“Or… I think I like that option better.” Jean hisses when cool fingers wrap around the base of his erection. 

Eren’s all smiles. “I do too.” 

* * *

* * *

* * *

Rewind: Saturday, 10 PM. Hotel Sauna –VIP exclusivity. 

Pause: Jean suggest swimming because he thinks they need something to do other than fucking and eating and making love. So… swimming. Swimming sounds like the perfect way to exert some energy and time and cool down before they get right back to what they’ve been doing. 

And it starts well. They swim and splash each other and flirt and egg each other on when it comes to diving and flips (in which Eren can do some pretty crazy fucking flips off of a diving board but Jean’s not surprised because Eren’s oh-so flexible). They argue a bit too. It’s about something stupid but Jean doesn’t let it last. 

That’s where things take a turn. 

When he lures Eren into the sauna and promises a massage and kisses a chlorine coated shoulder. Then Eren’s peeling out of his wet trunks and wrapping a towel around his slim waist and giving Jean that “come hither” smile before he lays down on the bench and demands his massage. To which Jean complies and aims for innocent but lets things degrade the instant his hands work their way down that trim back to push the towel down just so and- and Jean can’t help himself. 

Can’t help letting his lips move from ass cheek to as cheek. Can’t help letting his fingers ghost down that teasing crack to circle Eren’s puckered hole. Can’t help enjoying every hitched sigh and careful moan. And then the urge to taste hits him. Hard. So Jean can’t even help knocking Eren’s legs apart so that he’s nearly straddling the bench because what follows next is Jean’s face settling just so –in the right position for him to lick and suck and tease the salted stretch of skin behind Eren’s balls. 

It has Eren quivering and whining and –and Jean uses his mouth to open Eren up as much as he possibly can because he wants to be inside of him. Wants to take him slow and easy as the heat from the sauna collides with the heat from being gripped- 

“Jean. Jean… please.” 

Jean sits up and stares and smiles. “Yeah. Just-” He sits down on the bench in the first row and watches as Eren painstakingly makes his way over. “Fuck, you’re gorgeous.” Because Eren’s skin is flushed and his hair is slicked back and his pupils are constricted and he’s covered in bite marks… 

Eren smirks, “So you keep saying.” He doesn’t give Jean time to think about anything before he’s kneeling down and tugging Jean’s towel apart. And then his lips are wrapping around the head of Jean’s engorged cock- 

“Shit…” 

So much for normal activities. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

Rewind: Saturday, 4 PM. Eren’s mind is fuzzy and he feels dizzy because he’s high and he’s full on all accounts. Now, when he says he’s full, he means it. They smoke a bowl and then they eat –steak, medium rare, and alfredo and Italian loaf with butter and honey and a molten lava cake that came with hand-churned vanilla ice cream and whipped cream and caramel sauce on the side. They eat. And then Eren gets hungry for Jean. 

Pause: Eren’s on top of the dining room table spread eagle and his arms are stretched above his head and his wrists are cuffed to the chair on the other side and he’s got chocolate and cream and cum and caramel and saliva all over him but he doesn’t care because- fucking Jean! Fucking Jean and his fucking mouth and that fucking tongue ring. 

It’s like this, Eren’s the one who gets hungry for cock but, somehow, he ends up Jean’s meal. Somehow, he lets Jean talk him into handcuffs and food-play because they’ve done food-play before and they both dig it. But it wasn’t like this. It was good but this- this is mind numbing. 

Eren remembers Jean’s words from the other night –the bit about licking and kissing every part of his body. 

And Jean keeps his word, without even needing a reminder. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

Rewind: Friday, 11 PM. Jean makes love to Eren on and off for almost three hours and Eren’s mind is shattered. He’s so boneless and stuck in this haze of euphoria and he’s not even high. Jean’s just that good. 

Pause: They’re laying in bed and Eren’s taking a nap and Jean can’t get out of his head space. 

See, he’s got Eren wrapped up in his arms and there are all of these thoughts racing through his mind about how surreal this is. All of it. From being in love (falling in love) to actually getting the person who makes his heart palpitate and his mind implode while simultaneously expanding- yeah. Eren does that to him. And Jean still can’t believe he’s this lucky. 

Now, Jean’s a realist. He knows that this can be one of those relationships that span eternity **_or_** it can be something short lived that will feel like forever and then another awful snatch of eternity if/when it ends (because it’ll hurt a shit ton to concede to love and then lose it). He knows that Eren isn’t perfect on account that he’s so very human and he might fail to live up to certain expectations or surpass others but none if it can be held against him. Jean’s not perfect himself (which he absolutely knows for a fact no matter what he wants to believe) and he’s not a fortune teller either so he doesn’t know what the fuck might end up happening but their perfect imperfections have worked for them so far so there’s that. 

Jean knows those things. 

But, more than any of that, he knows himself. Knows that he’s never been in love and has never cared for someone like he cares for himself so he’s taking a chance here and it’s terrifying. Betting on someone else- Betting emotions and time and energy on another person that he doesn’t know as well as he knows himself is scarier than anything else in the world. As it should be because all relationships are a gamble and Jean thinks anyone who’s never been afraid before falling into someone else –before blending and binding and exploring and opening themselves up to failures or happiness or a combination of the two for the sake of another person- is a fucking jackass. 

Falling in love and being in love and maintaining that love is (realistically) frightening. 

But. 

_But!_

But it’s also the most euphoric thing he’s ever experienced… Ever. 

See, Jean never knew that he wasn’t whole, not until he met Eren. And then he realizes that Eren makes him feel _whole_ (as sappy as it sounds, fucking seriously) –Eren makes the world brighter and better. Makes each day something to look forward to and every night something he wants to hold onto. Makes him the angriest he’s ever been before drawing him backwards and making him more elated than he knows what to do with. Eren’s stimulating –mentally, physically, and spiritually so. And Jean’s never been with someone like him. 

Which is scary as all fuck –the fact that one person can sway his mood and mindset without intending to but it happens all the same. Even so, it’s the best kind of fear. A fear worth clinging to and dispelling. 

Eren’s worth it. 

And even if it gets rocky or they break up a few times or they spend forever together or they argue until their throats are hoarse and raspy or they make love for hours… whatever the fuck ends up happening, Jean doesn’t think he’ll regret it. Regret falling for Eren and shirking his original beliefs because life is about learning and lessons and- well- loving someone as much (if not more than) you love yourself isn’t all that bad. 

Especially when it’s someone like Eren who keeps him grounded and guessing and moving forward. 

So Jean can’t help staring at Eren and loving him and hoping that what they’re starting turns out alright because almost losing it nearly gave him a heart attack and getting to where they are was like pulling teeth but being so wrapped up and intertwined like they are at that moment… yeah. That’s the life. 

The life that he sort of (but mostly) wants to hold onto. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

Rewind: Friday, 9 PM. Eren wants to know what he’s in for because he doesn’t ever want to feel like beating the fuck out of Jean –again. 

Pause. 

Eren’s sitting in Jean’s lap feeling flayed open and filled to the brim even though Jean’s not inside of him at the moment. He wants to kiss him and he wants to ride Jean’s cock until they cum at roughly the same time and can’t breathe and they’re pulses are vibrating all crazy. Which is what they’ve been doing for the last who knows how long because Jean keeps his promises and Eren feels thoroughly made love to, so there’s nothing wrong with taking a small break. Even if he wants to be fucked or loved into oblivion –until his thighs and ass ache pleasantly. But a break… yeah. Okay. Eren kinda wants to talk anyway. Needs just a few minutes to catch his breath and calm his mind. Even if it’s only an interlude before they get back to exploring each other from the outside in. 

“I should warn you.” 

Jean hums and nips Eren’s collar because it’s right there and he’s so addicted to Eren’s taste- thinks it’s so ridiculous how his tongue throbs for it- “Bout what?” 

Eren bites back a moan and almost chokes on his words. Almost. “I’m bad at reading situations or moods and I’m bad at reading people so- so you gotta be straightforward when it comes to me.” He can’t snub out the mewl that follows that sentence because Jean’s mouth- his fucking mouth and that tongue ring are working wonders along his pulse, under his jaw, his earlobe… all while he’s chuckling… 

“I’m, apparently, the jealous and possessive type. Don’t wanna share you.” Never in his life would he have thought that he’d be **_that_** type but he is and Jean can admit it. 

Or rather, he can tell Eren because he’s got him in his lap and on his tongue. Clouding his mind. And Eren gets all flushed and bright-eyed and wanton- is so fucking gorgeous whenever sweet nothings get whispered in his ear so Jean can’t help himself. 

“I get jealous too. But I- I- Fuck… I trust you. Trust you- Shit!” Eren’s teeth sink into Jean’s shoulder because fingers are prodding at his ass and slipping in and fucking him open without any trouble because Jean has him slicked up oh-so nicely- 

Jean openly laughs and presses a kiss to Eren’s cheek. He’s so fucking beautiful. “I trust you too but I’ll still get jealous. S’why I like marking you.” He emphasis his point by sucking on Eren’s collar until his cheeks hollow and he has Eren squirming and his cock twitching painfully. “It’s good to let those other assholes know that you’re taken.” 

God… Eren loves the idea of Jean claiming him. Owning a piece of him. Something about the thought is mind numbing but he likes it more when he marks Jean. Drags his nails down that handsomely tattooed back or biting until he breaks just that first layer of skin or sucking on Jean’s snake bites until those lips are puffy and soft and- “I like it… like when I mark you- fuck! Stop fucking around and fuck me already.” Eren’s over talking and over Jean toying with him and he just wants to be filled. Wants to ride Jean and cum and bite him until they’re both bruised in the best way. 

And Jean can’t refuse when Eren asks him like that –all needy with his jaw slack and mouth wet and those bright blue-green eyes staring at him (begging). Fucking gorgeous. Yeah. Jean can’t take it any longer either. But he’s a bastard through and through so- “You sure we’re done talking?” 

“If you want to touch me again after this, we are.” 

Jean doesn’t take the threat lightly so he does as he’s told. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

Fast-forward: Monday, 4PM. Eren’s standing outside of his room door and he’s fidgeting and thinking about what to say because, while he’s in love with Jean, Armin and Mikasa are his entire world. He knows this and has always known but he feels bad because he didn’t think about texting or calling them because he was so wrapped up in Jean and- 

“Is the door really that interesting?” 

Eren whips around and stares and beams because Mikasa is smiling and Armin’s lips are quirked as he drinks from his water bottle and- And Eren drops his bag and flings himself at them because just seeing them rings **_home_**. So he’s at peace and not worried at all. Not anymore. 

Armin laughs and pats his back. “Missed us that much while you were gone?” He can read Eren like a book so he knows that his loveable moron is probably feeling guilty about being away for the weekend or not calling but it’s fine. They didn’t want to bother him either so he has nothing to worry about. But it’s still cute. 

“Something like that.” Because he did miss them but he didn’t know how much until they were right there and he has so much to tell them… 

“We missed you too. Didn’t want to bother you and Jean this weekend but maybe we should have. Just a bit.” Mikasa’s stares at Eren’s neck and the purpling splotches littered all over and can’t decide if she’s amazed by Jean’s handiwork or irritated that he blemished Eren’s perfect complexion. Probably a bit of both. “Was he trying to eat you?” Eren’s covered in bruises, gorgeously so. 

And Eren can do little more than blush down to his toes because, okay. They were careless this weekend but Eren likes indulging possessive Jean. And- Well… Jean _was_ eating him, so to speak… Not that he’s complaining. “He didn’t really have to try…” 

Armin laughs at that and tugs on their wrists. He definitely has to hear more. “Let’s go inside and talk! I want to hear all about your sappy erotic weekend.” 

Eren laughs and embraces the pile that they end up in on his bed. “I, uh… Jean and I are a thing.” And he can’t help looking from Mikasa to Armin and back again. Watches as their expressions morph into big bright smiles and wide eyes. Makes him feel stupidly warm and mushy but it’s fine for now. 

“Oh god, I never thought the day would come! I really didn’t.” Because Armin was beginning to think that Jean and Eren would fool around until they graduated. 

“I told you they’d figure it out at some point. And I’m happy for you two. Happy and curious about which one of you made the first move?” She has a feeling it was Jean because she knows Eren and he’s tenacious when it comes to waiting people out. 

Eren frowns because she sounds like she already knows the answer to her own question and he’s sure she does but it’s more complex than what she has in mind. Which he says. And then he launches into everything –from leaving the lab and stopping at the gas station to fighting at the rest-stop and cementing an anniversary on Valentine’s Day. Eren tells it all and watches as Mikasa face shifts from happy to murderous before settling on a combination of the two. Watches as Armin nods and smiles and laughs and comments about them being “thick-headed”. Even though they’re happy for him and they’re rooting for he and Jean, Eren feels like hasn’t told them the most important thing. 

Which is, “You guys know that, no matter what, I’ll never abandon you or stop loving you, yeah?” Because he would die without them –without his family. Armin and Mikasa don’t compare to anyone else and without those two, he’d be lost. 

But they already know that –know how Eren feels and they’ve both agreed time and time again that they feel the same. 

So the only thing that Mikasa can really say is, “Duh,” right before she ruffles his hair and kisses his temple. She knows how Eren feels about them. Eren, on the other hand- “You’re the one that needs to know and understand that we won’t be going anywhere just because you’re all shackled down to Jean. The three of us- We’re family and family is forever.” 

“No matter where you go or who you’re with –no matter where we go or who we’re with- we’ll always love and have each other. As horribly cheesy as that sounds but it’s true, right?” Armin smiles and wraps his arms around Eren’s waist in a half-hug because really… Eren is such a big softy. So adorkable… 

“Yeah.” Eren feels like the luckiest man in the world and he’s so fucking happy because he can have Armin and Mikasa and Jean and it’s not all complicated or confusing. It just is. Jean is the person he’s in love with, yeah. But Armin and Mikasa are his irreplaceable family –his world, whether he has nothing or everything. No one can take that from him. From them. So he was worried for nothing. And now he feels kind of stupid but he won’t tell them that. Instead he says, “I really do love you guys.” 

“Love you!” It’s said in unison, which makes all of them laugh but at least they got that out of the way. 

Nothing about them has changed or will change just because they’re finding other people, Eren knows that now. Is sure of it because Armin and Mikasa said so, which is all he needed. 

“Our relationship aside, you and Jean… you’re sure sure about this? About him?” 

Heat rushes to Eren’s cheeks because he thinks about the weekend and Friday… _Forever until they fuck up_ … “I think so. I mean… I’m pretty sure I’m in love with him. But, um… it’s not weird, is it? Maybe too soon or something?” They started on high-speed and things haven’t exactly slowed down but- 

“You know, there’s really no such thing as rules to love or falling in love with someone. Time constraints, identity preferences, figuring out when to have sex or when to admit your feelings… those are all social constructs. Manmade rules designed to comfort the masses but they don’t really mean anything. Whether you guys said ‘I love you’ that first night or three years from that point, it’s no one’s choice but your own. Having rules for this kind of thing is so ridiculous because we’re all so different and love hits all of us differently.” Mikasa knows from experience and she’s always disliked all of the “rules” that society puts into place with regard to relationships of any type. No one can tell anyone else how to love, which isn’t to say that having those guidelines is entirely harmful but they don’t apply or help everyone. They don’t help everyone. “You don’t have to be worried about any of that.” 

And Armin agrees. “Yes, you and Jean are fine so long as you two are on the same page. That’s all there is to it.” 

“Yeah? Okay.” All of that makes a lot of sense… warps his perception and makes him feel at ease. “Yeah. I love him. Or, well, me and that asshole are serious about each other… until one of us fucks this up.” Whether or not it happens, Eren doesn’t care because, right now, he has Jean so who gives a fuck about the potentials of the future. 

Plus, he’ll always have Armin and Mikasa. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

Jean’s scowling because, really? How long can someone fucking laugh? Obviously a long time because Connie and Sasha and Marco have been laughing for five minutes straight and it’s as irritating as he knew it would be. A laughing Marco is the most annoying because he’s there with them on Skype and his screen is fucking frozen so he has this perpetual big ass grin but he’s laughing. That kind of annoying. 

Makes him regret calling them over to tell them anything at all. 

“Dude… a Valentine’s anniversary serves you right!” For the guy that loathes holidays and conforming and blah, blah, blah… Yeah. The universe would dish out such a fate to Jean and Connie figures he has something to laugh about for the next lifetime and a half. 

Sasha thinks it’s romantic, even if it is ironic and corny. It’s very fitting of Jean and Eren who have the most unconventional-conventional relationship. Ever. So she gets a kick out of the romantic-comedy thing that they’ve got going –it gives her so much life. “I think it’s sweet and it suits you guys because you’re so friggin’ unpredictable.” On the other hand- “Why’d you guys wait until Sunday to decide to be boyfriends?” 

See, Jean lead with the end of the story –the good part about their weekend. Or the best part. But Sasha wants all of the juicy details. From the minute Jean showed up with all of the cliché Valentine’s things that she helped him pick out to the first the instant they got the hotel because she’s a bit of a perv but she’s pretty positive that it was hot (them having sex) so- 

“ _Oh yeah… it started kind of bad, right?_ ” Marco remembers getting a call on Friday where Jean was kind of freaking out about Eren and not getting where his head was at or something along those lines. But everything must have worked out if they have an anniversary. 

“Damn it, Marco!” Leave it to Marco to bring that shit up. Seriously… Who wanted to hear about that? 

Connie’s ears perk up and he stops laughing but he can’t wipe the grin off of his face because he knew there was juice. Knew it. “What’d you do?” 

Jean opens his mouth and snaps it shut before frowning. What’d he do… “It’s- We got into this really stupid fucking argument about Eren’s ex where I inadvertently called him a whore and he got out on the side of the highway and walked to the rest-stop down the road. The weekend almost went to shit but I fixed it. And when I say I fixed it, I mean, I told him I was an asshole and sort of blurted out that I was in love with him. After that, we spent the whole weekend having sex and talking. The end.” 

“Booooooooo! Boo, boo, boooooooooo!” Because Sasha wants to know all of the details. All of them! But- “Wait, wait, wait… you called _Eren_ a whore? Did he kick your ass?” Because she would slaughter Connie if the word even popped into his head as a thought so she can’t imagine what Eren did to Jean. And Jean deserved it. 100 percent. 

“It wasn’t like that. I was mad and said some shit that implied he was a whore but that’s not the point. He didn’t kick my ass and we’re together now. No, I’m not fucking around, this shit is real.” As real as he’s ever had. And he doesn’t regret it. 

“ _Congrats to you guys!_ ” 

“Yeah man… Eren’s awesome so that makes you a lucky bastard.” As lucky as he and Sasha are. “So this means you’re done with all of that free love stuff, right?” 

“For now. I mean-” 

Sasha slaps his shoulder and can’t believe her ears. “What d’you mean ‘for now’?” She will strangle him if he says something ridiculous! 

Jean thinks about Eren and thinks about their quasi-promise of forever and it makes him smile. “ _For now_ because I’m practical and you never know what can happen. You guys don’t get it but Eren does and that’s why we work.” It’s weird saying “we” with all things considered but he’ll get used to it and used to being a guy who’s claimed. 

Not like it’s any different from what they were doing before but now everyone will know that he’s with Eren and vice versa. 

“I never thought I’d see the day when Jean Kirstein fell in love but it’s a good look on you.” It’s been a long time since Connie’s seen Jean this happy but it’s not a bad thing. 

And Sasha agrees. “You got lucky with Eren so you better not ruin it.” 

“ _I think they’ll be fine. Jean gets serious when he needs to.”_ Marco’s seen it happen on some rare occasions. 

“Yeah, yeah… you people need to get out now. I’ve got plans.” 

“Plans with Eren? Man… you guys are the clingy type.” 

“Connie… you keep your head up Sasha’s ass –hourly.” No matter where she goes or what she does, he’s there. It’s been that way since they were kids. And Connie can’t even deny it. 

Marco’s laughing because he knows it’s true. “ _We’ll talk later then and congrats again!”_

“Yeah, night Marco!” Sasha sets her sights on Jean –ruffles his hair and gives him a big, wet, sloppy kiss on the middle of his forehead. “I’m proud of you for manning up, Jean. About damn time!” She kisses Jean’s cheek and pulls Connie towards the door, “Don’t have too much fun tonight since you two, apparently, can’t handle it!” Skipping class and such, but Sasha can’t blame them because she remembers what it was like when she and Connie first got together _together_. They had sex everywhere and for hours… but Jean doesn’t have to know that. 

“Whatever.” He can’t make any promises. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

“You know… I never apologized.” Eren sits up and stares down at Jean who looks tired but he can’t blame him. After all, they just finished making love for the first time in Jean’s room and it was more intense than Eren thought it would be –being in a familiar space and doing everything the same but different. 

The same because: it’s Jean’s room and bed and scent and expensive sheet set. They know each other’s bodies and weak spots and hot spots and expressions that morph depending on how close they get to orgasm. 

But it’s different because: Jean’s voice dips and gets husky (hungry) when he presses the words “I love you” to the back of Eren’s neck or beneath his ear or when he pushes those three sacred words past kiss-bitten lips and into a waiting mouth. And Eren’s skin feels like it’s alive –like he’s a separate entity in a body that’s so over stimulated pains and pleasure bleed into one another and make him a bit delirious. But the orgasm… Jean always makes him cum first and then follows but he’s been working on getting them off together –letting them ride the experience out as one while he groans into Eren’s neck and urges him to “Cum for me, Ere” and Eren can’t take the sweet talking (no more than he can take the dirty), so he listens. 

The same and different. 

So Eren expects Jean to be tired because he is too and he’ dreading getting up in the morning for classes. 

“Apologized for what?” Jean tugs at that slim waist until he has Eren sitting on top of him. His mind is shot to shit but he’ll try to keep up. 

And then Eren smiles all soft and it’s beautiful and his mind really isn’t prepared for anything. “For Friday. I mean, you’re right about not knowing what’s on my mind and when and all of this… we probably could have had this a lot sooner if I wasn’t so shitty at reading people and social contexts.” 

“S’not true. I still had to work out shit with myself anyway so we’re fine. Just, you know… we can talk about our feelings and all of that good shit the next time we’re confused about each other.” That’s really the best Jean can do right now and if Eren wants something deeper, he’ll have to wait until the morning. 

“Well… I’m still sorry, so-” 

Jean shuts him up by pulling him down for a kiss –a nice lingering one where he nibbles on those delicious lips and makes Eren gasp and then he’s licking into an open mouth and sighing because Eren’s mouth is so familiar… Eren leans away and Jean’s lips twitch up into a wry sort of grin. “You’re forgiven. Now, can we please go to sleep? Please?” 

“Fine.” He lays right there on Jean’s chest and snuggles close when the blankets settle. 

“In the morning-” 

Eren snorts and kisses Jean’s shoulder, “I got it. We’ll talk later. Go to sleep.” 

Jean has the urge to kiss Eren again but, instead, he wraps his arms around him and holds him close. “You get me, it’s why I love you.” And he means that for so many reasons. 

“I know. Love you too. Sleep.” Because now Eren’s tired and they can be all sappy and what not in the morning and the evening and the next day. Maybe forever if they’re lucky. 

And, see, Eren has a gut feeling that they’ll be one of those insanely lucky couples with all of the relationship grinding but the best sort of payout. 

That’s kind of perfect. At least, for them. 

* * *

* * *

* * *

##### 

BONUS! 

* * *

* * *

* * *

When Ymir bursts into the dining hall (how she got in, he’ll never know), Eren already knows what’s going on and the big grin plastered on her face gives him the chills but he doesn’t say anything. Just waits for her to sit right across from him and she eyes him for a while. He stares back –waits with bated breath. 

Until- “I hear he finally grew some fucking balls and made you his woman.” It’s not a question, just a fact (even if Eren resents being called Jean’s “woman” but it's Ymir he's talking to so he lets it slide for now). 

But he doesn’t bother to ask how she knows because he would’ve told her anyway and he also doesn’t bother to ask how Reiner knows –because Eren knows that Reiner knows as soon as the guy sits next to him and slings an arm around his shoulders and grins and whistles and says, “That lucky son of a bitch.” 

Yeah… Eren has a vague idea of how the news spread so quickly –not that he gives a fuck. 

Still… playing telephone with a group of friends is interesting. 

See, Ymir found out because she was visiting Krista when Sasha and Connie got back to the room the other night and Sasha couldn’t help telling them that Jean and Eren called things “on” on Valentine’s day (which Ymir thinks is ridiculous but definitely a JeanEren thing [because they’re like one entity now so no point in separating their names]). Anyway, she and Krista found out from Sasha but then she had to text Reiner to tell him that he owed her $50 because it definitely happened on a holiday. 

But, see, Reiner disagreed because Annie heard Mikasa and Armin talking about Eren and Jean finally working shit out after taking forever and when she walked into the room, she asked for clarification because she didn’t want to feel like an eavesdropper. Mikasa told her a piece after asking Eren if he cared who knew what (which he didn’t and doesn’t). Once they had his blessings, Armin recanted the whole story and then Annie had to tell Reiner that Ymir owed them both $50 because Eren and Jean so didn’t become exclusive on a holiday. 

And those two tell Eren most of this and it makes him laugh. He laughs harder when they go as far as to ask, “Which one of us actually won?” 

But Jean can answer that better, which is what he does when he plops down next to Eren and knocks Reiner’s arm off Eren’s shoulders because that’s where his arm goes. “Neither of you. Call it a wash and bet on something that makes sense.” 

Ymir frowns but then this devious little smirk creeps onto her face and it reminds Jean that she’s such a bitch. Eren still loves her in his own way. 

At least, he loves her more before she opens her mouth, “Then we’ll bet on why you two will break up for the first time. My guess: Jean as a jealous, cheating, asshole.” 

“The fuck-” 

Reiner hums like he’s considering it too and he goes with, “Nah, Eren as the jealous one.” 

“Hey!” 

“Or Jean gets overwhelmed by the trio.” Sasha sits down with two plates and grins. 

“You can’t be fucking serious.” 

“It won’t be because of us. If anything, Eren will get mad at something stupid that Jean does.” Because Mikasa knows Eren best and she can foresee a temporary break happening on account of Jean’s stupidity. 

Annie agrees, which she says before she goes back to her breakfast. 

Eren frowns but he could see that too… but that’s not the point. The point is- “You’re supposed to be on our side.” 

“We’re on your side.” Armin gives Eren his morning coffee and waves to everyone else. “However, statistically speaking, there’s a probability that the two of you will break up here and there. Not that we’re saying it’s something that will last forever –your break up that is.” 

“Yeah. Me and Krista have split twice.” 

“Me and Connie broke up once!” 

Armin nods, “See! It’s just something that may or may not happen. But I’m pretty sure we’re all rooting for you.” 

And Jean’s over the whole conversation so he stands up and goads Eren into standing with him. “Whatever. You assholes have fun talking about that.” And then he’s clutching Eren’s hand and pulling him towards the door. 

Eren’s laughing a bit because Jean is kind of cute when he’s upset but he really shouldn’t be so Eren can’t help it when he pulls them to a stop outside of the dorms and gives Jean a quick kiss. “If it makes you feel better, I think the first time we break up will be over something really stupid, like missing a date or some shit. And then we’ll think about today and we’ll get back together in no time flat.” 

Honey eyes study Eren’s bright face and then Jean’s backing him against the brick wall and smiling because- leave it to Eren to make all of that bullshit kind of okay. Kind of. “My bets on jealousy but I warned you.” He says that lightly but he’s slightly serious. 

Eren can tell. Still, he pulls Jean in –nips soft lips and kisses him once, twice- “Whatever the reason, we still have forever to fix it… at least until one of us really fucks up.” 

“There’s that.” And then Jean really doesn’t give a fuck because they’re thinking about a future that _isn’t_ –not at the moment anyway. So he got worked up about nothing. Well. What the fuck ever. “I fucking love you, you know that?” 

“Yeah. For the most part. If I’m not too tired tonight, I might let you show me, yeah?” 

“Definitely.” Just the thought has his blood racing and Jean really wants to drag Eren back to his room- 

“Later,” Eren laughs and pushes away from the wall. “Come on before we’re late.” 

Jean nods and smiles to himself because- fuck. Eren is his. And it’s not a game or a joke or anything along those lines. It’s the real deal. To think, it all started over half a year ago on some whim that he had while they were at the beach. 

Life’s funny that way –it’s unexpected and unpredictable and just the slightest alteration in plans or thought or behavior or surroundings can change a person’s whole life. For better or for worse. 

Well… Jean learns that the hard way. 

But Eren takes it in stride and tries to go with the flow. 

And everything has worked out for them so far. 

Which is really all there is to it. 

* * *

**FIN... ALMOST**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final story chapter (not including the epilogue that will come in a few weeks) but I'll write random chapters from this particular story-verse that I've built. Those will probs go under the "A Series of Unrelated Events..." and they'll be called "College Snapshots: ________". So, when this end _ends_ , look out for those! 
> 
> Moving on... YAYYYYYYYYYYYYY! We made it to the last chapter and I'm so bad at wrapping stories up... I hope it turned out okay, as in, how I had it planned out in my head. I hope it was confusing because this chapter rewinds and then fast-forwards and then there's that one part where it starts and ends in the same rhythm/tone but at least the story ends on a sweetish note. But I hope you felt as uncertain about the future as Jean and Eren did because that was kind of the point. Well... I mean, you never really know where any of you relationships will end up, be it friends or lovers 9because I've lost decade long friendships and formed inseparable ones and I have siblings that IDO n't talk to but friends who I can't go without talking to for a day and I've loved and lost and- yeah... all of that), but you can always hope for the best and prepare for the worst! Take every day one moment at a time, ya know? Anyway, still a happy and promising ending! 
> 
> As for their ending... well... there's still the Epilogue! 
> 
> Anywho, Thank you all so much for joining me on this crazy ride! We've laughed and cried and wanted to throw our laptops a dozen times out of anger or frustration... some of you have really connected and felt for the story and the characters going through it all. So, for realz, thank you for sharing your feedback with me and for reading however far you made it! Thank you *bows*! Special thanks to **_Marmyte_** who pimped me out without even being asked to! Cereally, a couple people said you sent them my way and that blew my mind *MUAH*! 
> 
> With that all said, don't be afraid to drop a line or kudos if you dug it! Cereally, feel free to ask me anything about anything, I always respond!
> 
> And, again, There's still the Epilogue as well as whatever else I conjure up for these two9 which I can now focus on much more!


	11. Day Z: The Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Which: Jean and Eren have a happy ending where it all began.

It ends where it started: on the beach. 

With Eren fidgeting and pacing in the sand and periodically glaring at the sun overhead because it’s so annoyingly bright that it’s offsetting his mood even more than it already is. Armin tells him to sit down and calm down because Mikasa is on her way and there’s nothing to worry about –she’s pregnant with her second child (it’s another boy) so it takes her a bit longer, especially when Annie’s not around to help (because Annie travels for work and she won’t be back for about a week so there’s that). But Eren is worried about far more than Mikasa, although, she’s kind of at the top of the list –a close second. 

He blames Jean. 

It ends with Mikasa showing up and wobbling towards the beach but not before Eren and Armin make it over to help her and they all end up sitting on the big towel in the sand. 

Mikasa’s hot, her back hurts, she can’t see her ankles, she’s irritable, and, even though her three year old is with Levi, she can’t stop thinking about him or getting home so she doesn’t mince her words when she says, “Calm the hell down.” Because Eren looks like someone shot him and he’s laying there sounding just the same when he should be happy. 

Pause and fast-forward. 

It actually ends when Jean shows up and he looks hot. Literally _hot_ because he’s in an all black suit with a dark gray shirt and a black tie and he’s wearing dress shoes –doesn’t look like he’s ready for a day at the beach. 

He spots Eren with his head propped on Mikasa’s lap and his legs draped over Armin’s. Reminds him of when they first met, except, not all. See, Sasha’s sitting next to Mikasa and they make a pair –both pregnant and due any minute now. Connie is talking Marco’s ear off and Jean has a good idea what it’s about –about having his first kid and wondering if it’ll be a boy or a girl because they’re waiting to find out. Reiner and Bert are kicking a soccer ball back and forth and when it gets too close to Armin, it gives Reiner the excuse to run over and kiss him quick before going back to what he was doing. 

“You look like a jackass wearing a suit on the beach.” Ymir slaps Jean on the back. 

Makes him glower but he still smirks because he’s used to her being a bitch after all of these years. She’s grown on him. “You actually look decent in a bikini.” 

Ymir grins and glances down the beach, makes Jean follow her gaze. And there’s Krista, pulling Eren up and towards the ice cream stand a few yards away. She still looks like an angel. 

“So today’s the day, huh?” 

Jean nods but he can’t talk because he can’t take his eyes off of Eren. Swears Eren gets more beautiful with each passing year –from those ocean hued eyes to his tanned complexion and that tight body… Eren’s a fucking babe. 

“She wants me to have a kid, you know… And I’m such a fucking sucker for her so it’s a no brainer.” 

That makes Jean look at her then because he can’t picture Ymir all expectant like Sasha and Mikasa and yet, at the same time, he definitely can. She’ll be even more of a bitch and so demanding and- oh god. He prays he’s far away by that point. But he gets it. Get what she means about being a sucker for the one she loves. “You hate it, right? That she can get you to do damn near anything.” 

Ymir grins and hooks her arm with his, “Yeah, well… we’d be lost without ‘em. Especially you.” 

Ah fuck… he just had to be nice and now he has to hear about- 

“Remember that time a few years back when you and Eren broke up for like, three months, because of that thing with your dad –you were fucking pathetic.” 

Jean doesn’t even want to remember. So, on that note- “Come on. I know he’s probably been freaking out for the last hour.” 

“You act like you’re not.” 

“I’m not.” But he is and it doesn’t matter because he has to be strong. Just today. 

Fast-forward. 

It actually ends with Jean holding Eren’s hand –their fingers laced and their wedding bands glistening in the sun while Eren rocks on his heels and tugs on Jean’s hand nervously. 

Jean pulls Eren close and whispers, “Here they come,” right before kissing the side of Eren’s neck. 

Eren perks up and stares down the beach –watches as Petra walks down the boardwalk and over to the picnic area carrying two car-seats like it’s something that she does every day. Or like the twins are weightless, which they all doubt. And Eren can’t contain himself. He wiggles out of Jean’s hold and jogs up to her and takes one of the car-seats. Jean is hot on his heels because, the truth is, he’s just as excited and nervous as Eren. 

So it ends with Eren peering down at the baby girl –one week old and she’s so fucking precious that it kills him. Petra gives Jean the baby boy who’s wide awake and staring at him with bright blue eyes… And, sure. Jean gushes a bit on the inside because he’s become so fucking sappy over the last 1.2 decades but he’s about to be a dad so- 

“I know we were meeting here because the mother requested it, but, in the end, she left everything to me. So here we are. There’re a few papers left to sign but, after that, you’ll be fathers!” She smiles and glances between Eren and Jean, “Congratulations!” 

Pause and Fast-Forward. 

It ends: 

With Mikasa and Sasha crying as they hold Kara and Conner respectively. They cry because they’re happy and they’re expecting and babies are the world and they’re hungry and sleepy and- Mikasa and Sasha cry because they’re pregnant but they would’ve cried anyway because Jean and Eren are ridiculously happy, which brings them their own type of joy. 

With Armin planning on ways to spoil the two because he loves children and loves being an uncle and- and then he gets distracted by Reiner who jokes about working on making their own. Armin blushes at that and says, “Impossible!” 

But Reiner doesn’t care about impossibilities so he just says, “Sure we can.” Right before picking up Conner and making promises about teaching him to play soccer. 

With Bert and Connie staring at Kara and internally cooing and talking about how they can’t wait to have their own little girls because girls stick to their dads like glue and that’s always nice. 

With Marco taking pictures and cooing and sending said pictures to his wife who calls and squeals and talks Eren’s ear off about play dates and such. And then Marco is pulling his best friend aside and telling him how proud he is. Tells Jean, “You finally have that family that you swore you never wanted when we were kids.” 

Jean laughs and nods, “Yeah, well… It’s Eren’s fault.” Because it is. Because Eren came along and changed Jean’s life without a thought and it’s been the best sort of rollercoaster ride that Jean never wants to stop riding –even when he feels like he needs a break to catch his breath and calm his nerves. 

With Krista and Ymir snagging the two children and Ymir announcing that she’ll be having her own soon enough. That’s when Krista starts blushing and smiling and kissing Ymir like she is the answer to life. 




Fast-forward. 

Everything comes to a close when Jean and Eren reach home. When Eren tucks the sleeping twins into their cribs and makes it back to the bedroom. 

Jean’s only slightly caught off guard when Eren climbs onto their bed and into his lap and starts peeling out of his T-shirt but pauses to stare into honey brown eyes- “I love you. I really, really, love you, Jean.” Soft hands slide up toned and inked shoulders to cup a strong jaw. “You have no idea.” Those words are whispered against rough lips before Eren is devouring. 

He can’t help himself. Can’t. So he licks into an expectant mouth and traces gums and teeth with the tip of his tongue and then he aims for Jean’s tonsils. Eren moans a bit when Jean grabs his hips –pulls him close so that he can feel the effect that he’s had on his husband. Makes his head lull when he rolls his hips. 

And then Jean’s cussing and- “Fuck! Love you so fucking much…” He bites out. It’s the honest to god truth because Eren is his everything. 

The reason he lives, breathes, eats, sleeps, works… Everything. 

“I know… Want you,” Eren murmurs as he grinds down and his mouth goes slack the instant Jean’s hand sneaks into his loose pajama bottoms to fist him. Makes Eren cry out with a strangled “Jean…” 

Jean chuckles and slows the pace, “I’m gonna make love to you… thoroughly.” He whispers the words into Eren’s ear, sucks on that pierced lobe before working on marking the sensitive tan flesh below Eren’s jaw- 

_“Wahhhhhh…”_

_“Wa… wahhhhhh…”_

Eren pulls away and groans and swears under his breath before stumbling out of bed. 

Jean sighs. “They get their timing from you.” 

Eren smiles and kisses Jean’s cheek. “I wonder what they’ll get from you.” And then he’s out of the room but Jean’s not too far behind. 

So **_this_** story definitely ends with Jean and Eren being in love and sappy and loved and starting a family without forgetting about the family that they formed during their college days but that’s not the end of **_their_** story so… 

* * *

**FIN**

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did cry when I posted this but not for the reasons some of you might think. I don't do well with endings of any kind and this is like watching my baby grow up and leave the nest... This story is also one of the first multi-chapter stories I've ever completed... We did it, you guys!
> 
> I met so many incredible people through this story and we had crazy awesome conversations and I feel like I grew as a writer through this particular fandom. I feel like I've learned a lot too, I mean, feedback and conversation is incredible because three people can read the same thing and get something different from it and it makes you think... All of you have helped me to think and grow and build! So I want to take a moment here to really thank you all -those who read, those who talked with me, those who hit that kudos button (and even the two or three flamers)!
> 
> THANK YOU!
> 
> But this isn't entirely the end. I mean, I skip ahead about a decade to leave room for those College Snapshots that I'll write here and there! Like, I've got this idea for a Snapshot called "The Marriage Counselor"! Or the one called "Sometimes We Just Break Up For The Make Up Sex But... Sometimes We Don't". So there's that.
> 
> What else... End pairings: Yeah... Armin and Reiner turned out to be a thing... It happened because of Halloween but didn't turn into a "thing" until later. "Why not Reiner and Bert?"... I wanted Armin to be happy and I love Reiner to pieces. That's really all there was to that now that I think about it but those two might be cute together... I've never considered that ship until I started writing this sentence here so. Yeah. Hmm... Marco and Bert are married to undisclosed women. The end.
> 
> Love you guys, thanks for taking this ride with me! You cheered me on when I couldn't cheer myself on and I will never forget that. I'm a big ass sap so, I'll just wrap it up here! See you in the next story!


End file.
